The change he brings
by namisnakama
Summary: After losing control over the Kyuubi yet again, Tsunade can no longer protect Naruto from Danzo. At Root, they try to break him, to mould him into the perfect tool... but Naruto was never one to back down! Now it's his turn to change the village from the inside out.. eventual ItaNaru, NaruSasu onesided, smart and strong Naruto!
1. Prologue

**Hey Everyone!**

 **Thanks for giving my first (published) fanfiction a chance.**

 **This story is for those who were unsatisfied with the Naruto ending. Many injustices were left unaddressed, and I'm still sore about the tragedy of Itachi's life. Sooooo- here is my attempt on fixing that. To change Naruto into the Hokage he can be, and the trials that he will face along the way. Curtain up!**

Prologue

 _Broken Ties_

Naruto heaved heavily. The fight wasn't going too well for him. He just couldn't get an advantage and Sasuke sure wasn't pulling his punches. Naruto was desperate. How could he make the other boy understand?

"You will return with me to the village and that's final! And if it kills me I will make you!"

Sasuke sneered at him. "You just don't understand. And that is because you're too weak to see the reality. I have an ambition and you know I've always had it. I must kill my brother and avenge my clan. That is my purpose in life: to become strong and defeat him."

"But Sasuke, you can become strong at the village. We can train together, like we always have. Kakashi-sensei can teach you more jutsu-"

"Kakashi is weak", he interrupted harshly. "At the invasion no one was able to defeat Orochimaru and so I know I need him to gain such power. I can feel it in my skin, the hidden power. You cannot stop me, you fool!"

And then Sasuke charged. Chidori was already blazing in his hand, the electricity crackling underneath his fingers. Naruto, still exhausted from their battle earlier, hurried to make a clone and form the Rasengan in his palm. Too late. It wasn't strong enough.

Naruto coughed up blood and sank to his knees as Sasuke pulled his arm out of Naruto chest. Red was dripping from it. So much red. For a moment, Sasuke seemed surprised to see it there, then his expression hardened once again.

"How unsatisfactory. And this is what you threw your dreams away from? I hope it was worth it. This is goodbye, you fool. Maybe in another life, it could have been different."

He turned to leave when a hand twisted around his ankle and demanded he'd stay.

"Of course it was worth it you bastard. And to think that I fell in love with you…"

"What was that?!" Sasuke sounded angry, well angrier than even before.

All was quiet when he finally spoke again. "I said I'm in love with you, Sasuke."

"What the fuck, dobe?! Out of all the attacks you've thrown at me, this one is the one least likely to work. I will not return to the village.", Sasuke laughed cruelly.

"It's not a trick, I", he coughed up some more of the red liquid that was leaving his body rapidly. His voice was quiet, almost breaking. "I guess it doesn't hurt to tell you now. _It's the truth_ , simple as that."

"It doesn't matter to me."

"Not to you, bastard. But to me. I would have given anything for you, you know."

The raven's expression was unreadable. "And now?"

"I stand by it. I hope you will find happiness one day Sasuke." Sasuke swallowed as Naruto whispered the last words. "I believe in you. There is more to you than just revenge."

Words spoken, Naruto passed out and left the other deep in thought. "But should I really do it? Is the Mangekyou worth it?", Sasuke asked softly, torn apart. Had Naruto's eyes been open, he would have observed a greedy gleam battling with self loathing and guilt over dominance on the other's face. But his eyes remained shut. And so he was blissfully unaware how only the sudden arrival of Shikamaru and Neji at the valley of the end interrupted the Uchiha's inner struggle and chased him away. Saving him. Or actually both of them, one could argue.

 _Once they had been best friends, brothers even, now they were separated by a road of hardships. They would not meet again for a long time to come._


	2. The decision

First of all: Thank you guys for all the support! The comments really motivated me and that's why this update is early. I hope you all had an amazing Christmas! Also, I drew a new cover picture as well; I hope you like it.

Edit: I uploaded this from my phone and only now got to properly look at the format on a Computer. Sorry about that. :D

Chapter 1

The decision

Tsunade sighed heavily and looked at the still form in the hospital bed. How had it come to this? Naruto was still unconscious as he had been for two weeks, even after her own exclusive treatment. Physically he was in good, stable health again. That was a great improvement. When she had seen him getting carried in by Neji and Shikamaru, he had looked as pale as death himself. The blood loss was almost too great, had it not been for the Kyuubi, Naruto would not have survived. He had come so close to dying. Like Nawaki and like Dan.Tsunade had placed too much faith in Naruto; since he had convinced her to come back to the village three months ago. She had been swayed by her feelings, she had wanted to believe again, believe in the good of shinobi. That bonds were unbreakable. But the truth was: Naruto was just a small, vulnerable teen. He didn't have the skills or knowledge to back up his words. So the burden rested on her shoulders.

She turned her head as she heard a shy knock on the door. Her new apprentice, Sakura entered.

After the defection of the Uchiha two weeks ago, Sakura had approached her for an apprenticeship. In the beginning she hadn't even spared the pink haired girl a glance. But then Sakura showed such strong determination to become a great kunoichi. "I never want to be this weak again! This helpless! I will not let Naruto carry the burden alone!" Sakura had yelled out und then gotten on her knees to beg. Despite herself, the Sannin had agreed. Sakura reminded her so much of her younger self, it almost hurt and she found herself wanting to help the desperate girl. Besides, it wouldn't hurt in any case. After all, another skilled medic would benefit Konoha greatly.

"Tsunade-sama", she greeted softly and stepped inside the hospital room. "How is he?"

"Come, I will teach you how to check the vital signs." She took Sakura's hand in hers and let the green healing chakra flow through it. Then she formed hand seals with her free hand in quick succession and a green chakra bubble enveloped the sleeping boy. A ghostly, see-through replica of Naruto formed above him and certain areas such as his heart blinked red.

"This means that his pulse is a bit weak. But you always need to keep in mind what drugs a patient is given, because that can greatly influence the results." Sakura nodded and tried to keep the information in her mind.

"Physically he is in good health again", Tsunade summarised after they had checked all his vital organs. Then she looked sadly into Sakura's eyes. "However, mentally…"

* * *

Sakura swallowed. The day before, she had just finished a textbook on the devastating effects of mental trauma, so she knew this was serious. If Naruto couldn't overcome the pain he was feeling, he might never wake up. If he didn't want to face reality, he'd just remain in this state… And in the end she would have to live with it. Left by both her teammates. Her childish crush on Sasuke had driven her to alienate Naruto from the team. To see him as someone annoying and unwelcome. Someone, who stood between her and Sasuke. She knew of Naruto's feelings for their raven haired teammate. 'Ex-Teammate now', she reminded herself.

When Tsunade left the room to tend to her next patient, Sakura fell into the chair next to the blond and gently took his hands in hers. All strength had left her, overcome with sadness she cried silently.

She didn't know what to do, how to reach him, but she just had to get this guilt off her chest. "Please forgive me Naruto. I am so sorry", her voiced hitched. "Return to me Naruto! I need you, please." After sitting there with joined hands for a while, her tears had ebbed away and she found her strength return slowly.

One last time she squeezed his hand and then she got up to return to her duties as medic nin apprentice.

* * *

A sudden flare of malicious chakra on the top floor of the left hospital wing was all the warning that Tsunade got. Then she felt an explosion shake the building. "Shit!", it was highly unusual for the Slug Sannin to swear none of the panicking villagers noticed her curse. Everywhere people were rushing to get out of the building and to help evacuate the patients who weren't fit to do so on their own. As fast as she possibly could, she rushed towards his room, but the fleeing people hindered her speed. When she arrived after what seemed like an eternity, she was frozen in shock. The Kyuubi's chakra tainted the air. One tail had already formed as Naruto crouched down on the floor. Cries of pain escaped him that didn't at all sound human and he struggled as yet another tail formed. Two Anbu charged, their goal likely to render him unconscious, but before they even got within two metres reach, another tail had thrown them into the wall. Tsunade snapped back from her dazed state and noticed another two Anbu lying on the ground, unconscious and with their skin burnt. "Naruto!", she yelled. "You need to calm yourself!"

No response. She charged, but he dodged effortlessly. His eyes were unfocused, not there at all. "Sasuke!", he cried out, voice hoarse.

Finally she managed a kick to his stomach. A normal ninja would not get up from that one, but the Kyuubi seemed hardly fazed. After a moment of stumbling he regained his balance and charged at her. Instead of meeting her Taijutsu with kicks and punches, the malicious chakra reached out and surrounded her from all sides.

Suddenly, it became hard for her to breath. Her heart stopped for a moment, before it beat faster than ever before. Cold sweat ran down her body. Never had she felt this terrified. She would die. Completely at the enemy's mercy. "Naruto! Snap out of it!", she tried to negate the chakra by releasing the chakra she had stored in her diamond around her to form a bubble. But that was just a short term solution. Already she was nearing the end of her reserves. What could she do? The village was defenseless against a threat such as this! 'Destroyed from their own ally', she laughed bitterly. She couldn't let that happen. Absolutely not. She would not leave the villagers alone with this threat! Maybe if she used a self-sacrifice jutsu, she could erect a barrier. Trap the Kyuubi in a confined space until this wore down and leave it to Jiraya to reseal the demon properly. Yes, that was the only option. Tsunade formed the hand seals, determined to go through with this plan, when eight dark forms arrived in front of her. 'Anbu', she sighed. "Get away! Don't lay down your lives needlessly!"

"We have it under control Lady Tsunade", one with a cat mask assured her.

Fast, they formed an octagon around the Kyuubi, who sprout five tails as of right now. In perfect sync, the Anbu formed a flurry of hand seals and a seal array formed in the air, made of pure chakra.

Cat then stepped forward suddenly huge wooden beams sprout from his hands that targeted and bonded the writhing demon host. A blue tinted barrier appeared along the eight shinobi and contained the red chakra. Tsunade's eyes widened. 'A wood user!' The first one after her grandfather Hashirama to be able to use this special jutsu! How come she didn't know of him? She also noted that they had addressed her with 'Lady Tsunade', not Hokage-sama. She concluded that they were not part of her Anbu. Admittedly, after only three months as Hokage she still didn't know all of her troops, but it was suspicious. Who were those ninja who had just saved her life? And the whole of Konoha from destruction?

* * *

Three people waited in Tsunade's office when she finally returned that evening. Silently, she swore. It seemed her time had run out. The council would not grant her more time and a decision had to be made. Sat in front of them, she did her best to remain calm and controlled. 'Do not show them you're nervous.'

Danzo didn't waste any time. "I heard you took an apprentice."

"Indeed."

"So Team seven is disbanded for the time being."

"Yes, but Naruto can still serve as a ninja for the village. He is a loyal shinobi."

"I agree completely... Oh don't look so surprised, Tsunade. As Jinchuuriki he could be an invaluable asset. One, the previous Hokage neglected to see."

Tsunade smiled. "I will have him trained. In fact, I already arranged for Jiraya to take him."

"Of course, Jiraya would be my first choice, as well", Danzo said sweetly, which made hers skin crawl. "Unfortunately, the Akatsuki are on the hunt and targeting every single Jinchuuriki there is. Can you guarantee that your old teammate is able to protect a Genin from several S class missing nin?", without waiting for her response he continued. "I don't think so either."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Well, after the incident in the hospital, it is obvious he poses a threat if left alone. The villagers fear him and with reason."

"But that was also when he was going through severe mental stress with Sasuke Uchiha leaving. It's not likely to happen again, soon."

"Oh Tsunade, you know as well as I do, how demanding and dangerous missions can be. There is no guarantee they will go smoothly, ever. To let someone with such volatile temper take part in them is a grave danger to everyone involved. Especially, when he can't tell friend from foe."

"You still haven't told me your idea, Danzo. Which means that I'm not going to like it. And I'm betting it has something to do with the unidentified Anbu that appeared in the hospital."

"Brilliant deduction, dear Tsunade. Though I think you will be pleased to hear this. There is another organisation hidden below the city. It is invaluable to the leaf, as it takes on dangerous, secret missions that are too tough for an Anbu or normal shinobi squad."

"And how is it that as Hokage, I don't know about it? What are they called?"

"The way you were instated was under hectic circumstances. Hiruzen's timely demise due to your teammate left many things unexplained."

"I have been in charge for three months now!"

"I didn't think it all that important."

"Not important? Are kidding me Danzo? Stop this charade at once! I do not like having an entire Anbu level organisation hidden from me that I have no control over!"

"I assure you, they are loyal."

"To you? Me? The village?"

Danzo smiled. "Don't you see? They're all the same. After all, I only want what is best for the village."

Tsunade was about to let lose a flurry of curses, when the elder Koharu spoke for the first time. "Lady Tsunade, I can assure you that Root has been important for the continued prosperity of the village. The missions they carry out deal with difficult political climates. Situation, where being identified as leaf ninja would be fatal."

The Hokage nodded, despite being pissed. She could see the obvious benefits from it. "So they're called Root then. Tell me, what does Root want with Naruto?"

"To train him, of course. With a little supervision, he could become a true if hidden protector of Konoha, an unknown threat to our enemies."

"So you don't want his identity known?"

"From the shadows he can be more effective. At least until the villagers have calmed down and forgiven him. He would have a home among my ninja, one without judgement, where he can prosper and train to his best potential."

Tsunade had to be honest, the plan didn't sound bad at all. Danzo's arguments seemed logical, but that didn't mean she trusted him. He wasn't innocent and neither was she. "How do you plan on training him?"

"I don't want to bore you with details. But emotional control first and foremost and then we can build up his shinobi skill set. From what I've heard, he is a chakra powerhouse; it is a shame he has such limited amount of jutsu at his disposal. I would rectify that. During his training, he would have to stay at HQ most of the time, to ensure that there are no distractions. I recommend cutting his contact to his classmates and teachers for the time being."

"Why is that? For Anbu it is common to continue life as before while also operating on Anbu missions at the same time."

"Very true. But can you see him guarding this secret from his friends? Can you see him not being distracted from his new training if he stays in his old environment? In training, distractions are most unwelcome. And the Jinchuuriki is in dire need of training. Wouldn't you agree?" He nodded at the other two council members who then nodded vigorously.

"Indeed, indeed."

In the end, it was decided that Naruto would stay at least three years at the Root base, not to stay in contact with any old associations. Tsunade wasn't all that happy about it, but after the hospital accident, she had to concede the point that Naruto was dangerous. Just as much as she didn't trust Danzo not to cross her, she needed someone to report to her from the inside. That someone at her disposal was loyal and righteous, it seemed like the best outcome, for now.

"I want reports from every single mission Root has carried out up to this point. And furthermore, I want to be informed of every mission Root goes on in the future. I want to know how many ninja you employ. If you can agree to that, I will grate Root an official status in the village."

"It will be as you wish, Hokage-sama." Danzo smiled triumphantly as he left the office. When Naruto woke up, she'd have to break the news to him. Hopefully he'd understand.

The next day, Tsunade sat in front of the mission reports that another nameless Root member had delivered yesterday afternoon. Dangerous missions indeed. Morally grey. But they did seem to support Konoha as stronghold in the shinobi world. These were tough missions. The Abu ninja were not to be taken lightly, that was sure. They also needed a cool head for all those. No, emotionless was a better word to describe it. Killing machines. What fate had she condemned Naruto to?

* * *

Deep underneath the Hokage monument, Danzo was standing in front of his desk, laughing. Everything was slowly coming together, just as planned. He had the Jinchuuriki in his grasp! Hiruzen had shielded the boy from him, when he should have grown up as the perfect tool. Well, it wasn't too late to rectify that. The conditioning and following initiation at Root would see to that. And then, Konoha would gain the power to dominate the other hidden villages. The Kyuubi was the strongest demon, after all. Konoha would be feared again! No one would dare to cross him. And when the time was ripe, he'd take the Hokage seat for himself. More than that, the village would demand for him to take it! A strong leader, he would be the perfect choice.

And the best thing yet, the deluded Jinchuuriki wanted to bring that traitorous Uchiha back to the village! Right under his influence! He didn't even have to convince the boy, in fact he'd most likely do anything for his avenger teammate. Soon he'd have two utterly strong shinobi under his thumb. And if the Uchiha didn't want to become his, he could always just take away the eyes and problem solved. Yes, this was a day to be celebrated.

* * *

Next: Turns out, rampaging as Kyuubi wasn't one of Naruto's smarter moves...


	3. Win-win

**Thank you guys for commenting, you made me really happy! So here is the next chapter! Let me just start of by saying, please bear with Naruto being naive and having mood swings. At this point he is still just an annoying Genin, though that will change soon enough ;D *evil laugh. SORRY.**

 **Also- I'm super sorry about the formatting - still figuering it out.. ;)**

Chapter 2

 _Win win_

When Naruto woke up, he felt much better. His body was light, the mattress was soft and the blanket and pillow warm. His memories took all of ten seconds, before forcefully slamming back into his mind. Damn. He was screwed. How could he have let this happen? First he wasn't able to bring Sasuke back and then he had attacked Tsunade-baachan! And hurt those who had tried to stop him! Naruto felt like crying. He had messed up miserably.

Suddenly, the walls felt too narrow and he seemingly closed in on him. Desperately he jumped out of the window. Being on the fifth floor he landed ungracefully on his behind. He gasped for air. 'Just breathe in, breathe out. Calm down.' He sat on the ground in front of the hospital. Repeating these words n his head until he relaxed a bit, trying to blend out everything else.

When he eventually opened his eyes, he jumped a bit. He was surrounded by angry villagers. There was a whole horde of them. They were shouting and spitting at him. First he was confused, then his hearing returned to him with a vengeance: "Get away you monster!" "We don't want to you here, demon!" "How dare he deceive us like this!" "He attacked our last Uchiha and the Hokage! I say we do away with him!" The last comment got a round of applause.

Naruto couldn't understand this. He knew the villagers distrusted him, but they had never been this vocal about it. Usually, they just ignored him.

He jumped on his feet and took a step in the direction of his home, when he mob suddenly backed away. Naruto narrowed his eyes. There was this strange expression in their eyes, which he had trouble reading. Then it hit him. _Fear_. They were afraid of him!

"Whoa, guys! I didn't want to attack Tsunade-baachan! You have to believe me!" He could stand them ignoring him, but he wouldn't have this! He wasn't evil!

"GET AWAY FROM US DEMON! WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" A hysterical old woman screamed hat right into his face.

"But I don't-", nobody listened to him. They would not hear his side of the story.

Tears streamed down his face and he jumped high above their heads and onto rooftops of the houses nearby. Were they right? Was he a demon? Up until he attack I'm the hospital he felt that that was ridiculous but the fact that he could remember everything made him doubt himself. He remembered the rage, the want to destroy, the rush of power through his veins. Yes, he had been powerful, he had almost defeated the Hokage, had he not? But then again, Obaa-chan had tried not to hurt him, so she didn't fight him full force. What would Sasuke say to that? There was a frightening power inside him and he had absolutely no control over it. Was that desirable? No, it wasn't. _At all_.

He didn't want to be a monster. He didn't want to hurt anyone. 'Well, except enemy ninjas.' Or did he? 'What about Haku?' It still hurt thinking about the young ninja's demise.

Naruto arrived at his favorite spot on top of the Hokage monument. Here, everything seemed peaceful.

* * *

He was still sitting in the same spot a few hours later, when a lange hand ruffled his hair.

"Hey!", he shouted angrily. "Oh, it's just you, Pervy-Sage."

"No respect for your favorite Sannin, eh kid."

Naruto didn't respond, as he was already back to his dark thoughts. For a while the two just sat quietly together, watching the everyday business in the village from afar.

Finally, Jiraya cleared his throat.

"So Naruto, remember when I told you I wanted to take you for an apprentice?"

"Yeah, of course I remember, Pervy-Sage!", his face lit up just a tiny bit. Maybe he could escape the hateful atmosphere in the village together with Jiraya!

"Well right now is not really a good time for that."

Naruto felt like someone had punched him. Jiraya didn't want him either. Him and his demonic companion. "I see..."

"Yeah well, a situation has come up that will kinda take up all my attention. So you can be my honorary apprentice." The old man awkwardly scratched his beard.

"Kid, don't be like that. I really wanted to take you, honest. But orders are orders."

"Oh man that's just not fair", he pouted. "You get to go around and just be lazy and I will have to stay here, working missions…" In truth Naruto had no idea what was coming now. He had run off from the hospital and then, while clearing his head, the villagers… They looked so incredibly scared, he felt nauseous.

"Hey Jiraya, do you think I'm a threat?" Jiraya looked up, probably surprised at being addressed with his actual name for once.

"You know I worked real hard to get everyone to accept me and now it's in ruins. Maybe I should just you know… back off?"

"Naruto, I know that you're a good kid and that you always do your best. And that's all you can do for now. Don't lose faith over something like this. Your parents wouldn't want this for you."

"My parents?", Naruto's eyes shot up in alarm and he searched for answers in the old man's gaze. "Does that mean you knew them?"

"No, of course not! I just meant parents in general want the best for their kids and you know what they say about a mother's love and all that." Jiraya blinked owlishly and shook his head.

That did not convince Naruto at all. "There is something you're not telling me. And I want to know! I deserve to know!"

"Leave it Naruto. That topic isn't something you should focus on now." His voice sounded harsh and tone final.

"But Pervy-Sage! Pleaseeee."

"I already said too much. I need to head off soon. Better go pack."

"Hey! WAIT!", Naruto was annoyed. Why didn't the other just give him some damn answers now?

The Sannin turned around. "And Naruto, go see Tsunade. You need to face her instead of running away. That cowardly behaviour is not like you at all."

He was gone the next moment and Naruto slumped his shoulders. Now it was time to face his fears. But maybe he could stay here, on top of the mountain, just a little bit longer and pretend that everything was alright.

Naruto knocked softly. For once not just barging into the office. That just wouldn't be right.

"Hokage-sama", he bowed and didn't dare look in her eyes.

"Hello Naruto. I hope you are feeling better?"

"Yeah, I'm alright", Naruto quickly assured, but he didn't smile. Couldn't smile.

"I summoned you, because a decision has been made about your future."

Naruto clenched his fists. What would they do with him? He deserved to be made taking D-ranks for the rest of his life. Or maybe they'd take away his forehead protector. That's what he feared the most.

"The council has decided to place you with the Root Anbu."

Naruto pondered at this, an eyebrow raised. "What's that, like a place for failed Anbu?" Because surely they wouldn't put a failure like him into a real Anbu squad. That was reserved for the best shinobi after all.

"It's an entirely different organization. They operate under a different head than normal Anbu that you're familiar with."

"Eh. So they don't listen to the Hokage?"

"No, that's not it. They do", she said a little bit too quickly. "They take special missions, more dangerous ones. They ensure that Konoha stays safe." For some reason those words sounded rehearsed, but Naruto let the thought go for another.

He could continue as a real shinobi! He could get stronger! Strong enough to get Sasuke back to the village! Then he snapped out of this happy place and asked wearily. "What's the catch? Where's my punishment for what I've done?"

"There will be no punishment, Naruto. What happened wasn't your fault." She looked at him with affection and then continued before he could argue. "You will learn control at Root and up your skills. For the time being, you are to stay within the village walls. Until you definitely pose no threat to others, Root will teach you. Also, you will not see your friends during your entire time as Root Anbu."

Naruto was shocked at those orders! How could she take away the one thing that was important to him? His comrades! And he was not allowed to leave the village! Then how could he get Sasuke back?

"How long would I be part of Root and how long do I have to stay in the village, Hokage-sama?", he sounded a bit more cold than intended.

Tsunade looked a bit sad at that but smiled kindly. "It is not forever, Naruto. I cannot determine how long it will take, but at least until the situation with the Akatsuki is a bit more secure and until we can estimate the situation inside the village better." Naruto nodded, despite not liking it. He didn't have a choice. The way Tsunade sounded, he'd stay under Danzo for a few months. Maybe until the next chunin exams. He would get the Teme back when he had trained a bit and then the bastard would realise his mistakes.

"Naruto", Tsunade squeezed his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't give up hope. You will become stronger and the villagers will calm down eventually. When you're not around, they will soon lose interest in those rumors."

Oh yeah, the villagers. He had almost succeeded at forgetting about those. The reason he was in this nasty situation: He needed to control the Kyuubi or he'd never succeed at anything. Finding Sasuke, becoming Hokage, all that seemed impossible now. Naruto tried to smile back, but his face remained stony. Not possible with the inner turmoil going on. "Yeah maybe", he finally said. 'But they aren't rumors', he thought and didn't say. 'They are facts. I'm dangerous while the Kyuubi isn't under my control. No wonder they despise me.'

"I still believe in you, Naruto. I don't want you to go and be exposed to Danzo. But as Hokage my hands are tied. This is the situation and we have to make the best of it. That is also part of being Hokage. You have to make decisions that are tough and no matter what you do, you lose."

"You will not lose me, Obaa-chan! I swear the training is gonna be easy and then I'll drag Sasuke's ass here in no time. Better believe it!"

"I'm glad you haven't lost your will of fire…"

The Hokage sighed. "There is another reason I need you to go. It's not just about you learning control. I will be honest. I don't trust Danzo."

He frowned at that. He had learned about the man in the Academy. Danzo hat been one of Jiji's closest friends and his advisor, too.

"It's just that I need someone to watch out for what is going on in Root. If there is something suspicious I need you to investigate it. And then report it to no one but me, do you understand? This is an S class mission and I trust you with it Naruto. Is that trust misplaced?"

His eyes widened. Such a big mission and she still counted on him. He felt a big warmth spread through his body, for the first time since the incident. "I accept, Obaa-chan! Count on my with that mission! Absolutely no problem for the great Naruto!"

"Please stay safe Naruto. And no matter what, don't lose yourself. You can battle the Kyuubi, and you can reign your emotions."

"Of course", Naruto's stomach tightened, whether in anticipation or discomfort, he could not quite determine.

He had to be strong now, for her as well. How bad could it be anyway? Kakashi-sensei had been a tough teacher, so he was already used to harsh training. Not seeing his friends in the meantime sucked, but had he gone withJiraya, he also wouldn't have seen them. As for Sasuke, he'd just have to beat him the next time they'd meet. Thus he left the office, feeling better than before and with his goals clear in his mind.

* * *

Tsunade sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Had she done the right thing? Would Naruto be OK in Danzo's grasp?

For now she had to believe that he indeed would. Her conscience would eat her up otherwise. The kid was so naive, so loud and way too innocent.

Obviously he was unsure of himself after the situation in the hospital and that's why he had accepted the mission without much complaint. Then again, he also didn't have a fucking clue what expected him at Root. Neither did she for that matter, but she could guess. The way she was using him made her cringe.

She remembered well the argument she'd had with Jiraya just hours ago. How Jiraya had insulted her and shouted at her, asking her how she had become such a heartless and cruel person. She wasn't heartless and letting Naruto go like that hurt her, too. But this was for the best.

The village needed a strong, controlled Jinchuuriki. She needed a spy. The council needed to think they could rule her. Naruto needed to grow up. _Win-win. Well, kind of. A little bit. Maybe._

Being Hokage was hard. Naruto wasn't at all suited for the job, despite his claims. When he emerged from Danzo's hideout in a few years, he might have what it takes. _If_ he emerged.

Well, Naruto was hardly the first one to be sacrificed for the good of the village. She had read the files on a certain red-eyed crow summoner. But that hardly mattered now.

She trailed over to the window. When she followed the blond head disappear in the sea of villagers she couldn't help but feel like this was the last time she saw him. The next time that Naruto might be gone.

Tsunade walked away from the window to the opposite corner of the room. There, she pressed a hand on the seal that was drawn onto the wall. Only one thing left to do. A cupboard appeared where the seal had disappeared. She took out a sake bottle and sighed again. Being Hokage sucked. Time to get wasted.

* * *

"I will miss you guys! But we'll all become awesome ninja and the next time we meet again we'll all", at this Naruto raised his hand up high in the air, "eat Ramen!"

Sakura punched his shoulder but without strength. "And here I thought you'd say something inspiring as farewell." Her words weren't harsh though and she smiled as she pulled him into a hug. The rookie nine, minus Sasuke, stood in front of the village gates and smiled at their blond friend.

"Where will you guys go first?"

"I'm not sure, Ino. I'm just the tagalong. But I am sure we'll head somewhere with hotsprings for Pervy-Sage here." Everyone laughed at that.

"Research! Purely for research I'll have you know!", Jiraya was quick to verify as he stepped closer to the rookie nine circle. Then Kakashi appeared in a swirl of leaves, right next to Naruto, holding his trusty orange book. "I completely agree. Naruto, you should respect your teachers' decisions more. Jiraya-sama's research is most important!" There was an unknown passion in his voice as Naruto facepalmed.

The two older shinobi shared a smug grin, before Naruto loudly exclaimed "Sexy jutsu!" and they knew no more. As unplanned side effect, Hinata's face tinted red and the poor girl fainted as well.

"Troublesome", Shikamaru huffed and that was that.

* * *

A little bit later, it was time to part ways with Jiraya, as well. "So I guess this is goodbye, kid." Jiraya stopped and turned towards the clone that had been walking next to him the past hour. "Yeah, good luck on your mission, Pervy-Sage."

"Have some respect will you?" Jiraya shook his head. "Come here, Naruto." He pulled the clone into a hug and smiled warmly. "I'll be back before you realise it. And maybe when I come back I'll tell you about your parents." He grinned foxily at the loud exclamation that followed. Good thing, Naruto had recovered somewhat from his emotional trauma. Naruto pouted again! The world was alright. He sobered a little at the thought of the blond being stuck with Danzo, but he believed in the ninja. Naruto would be _fine_!

"Until next time brat, stay strong!" Hehead butted the clone and continued his journey as the smoke dissolved behind him.

* * *

 **And that's a wrap! Next time: Naruto had a strong urge to run away from his new 'home'.**


	4. Welcome to Root

Chapter 3

 _Welcome to Root_

Naruto was impressed by the Root headquarters. He had never imagined there to be an entire city under the Hokage monument! That Base was seriously huge! If a little bland. They could definitely invest in some color, with rough, grey stone walls and simple earth as floor there was not much to look at. It didn't help that it was underground, thus no sunshine finding its way in. At times, the light in the corridors was orange and very bright, other times just a lamp every few hallway intersections. Anyway, it would really take some time until he'd find his way around the maze. Way too similar looking to orientate and too big to just remember by distance.

"Sai", that was the name of the way too quiet ninja that was to deliver him to Danzo, "Say, is there a map of the place? That would be seriously helpful."

"No, of course not.", the ninja replied and sounded a little bit incredulous behind his mask. Naruto couldn't be sure, he didn't see his face after all.

"Why not?", he insisted.

"Why would a top secret base spread around their information? Do we want to make it easy for our enemies?"

"I was just asking…"

"We're here anyway."

Danzo's office was impressive. Twice the size of the Hokage office and beautiful paintings adorning the walls. Between the beautiful landscapes of the fire country, he could see that the wall was littered with swirly designs. Beautiful, black ink on the light blue tapestry. Seals, he identified the designs. 'So this is where the money for the decoration went.', he laughed inwardly.

"Danzo-sama", Sai knelt respectfully on the ground before the old man, who occupied a large piece of furniture in the center of the room. Naruto just stared at the sight: Danzo almost reminded him of a Daimyo, ruling the country on his throne. Sai aimed a kick at the back of his knees and broke him out of his musings as he, too, was suddenly kneeling.

"Sai, thank you for bringing our new trainee here. You may rejoin your squad now."

"Yes, Danzo-sama."

Sai elegantly stood and went to the back of the room, where it looked like he melted into the walls. As Naruto saw this, it became clear to him that there were more shinobi in the room with them. But somehow they remained invisible. Silently watching. Admittedly, he felt somewhat uneasy now.

"Naruto, I welcome you to Root. From now on, you are part of the most elite shinobi organization of the entire village. Or better said, you're training to become one." Naruto was in awe as he heard this. Seemed like he had hit jackpot. "I will be honest with you, your training will be quite hard. Seeing as you're older than most our recruits, it will be quite a task to get you to catch up to their level. Therefore, you need to give it your all, can you do that?"

"You bet I can, old man!"

Danzo's eyes widened for a moment. Behind Naruto, another masked figure appeared and kicked him in the side. Hard. "You will address Danzo-sama with his respect."

"Thank you Shuko, that is quite enough.", Danzo said kindly. But that grandfatherly appearance didn't fool Naruto anymore. He groaned as he rolled to his side and then got up.

"Root is quite a bit different from what you are used to. Discipline, obedience, and endurance are the traits we value the most. In time I am sure, you will learn to appreciate them as well. Sai will help explain your new home to you later and assist you in the transition from your old life into this new one. Your training will start tomorrow. Root will help you control your emotions until you no longer endanger the village. Do you have any questions?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "When will I go on missions again?" A second later he remembered the respect thing and added "Sir."

"Once you have completed the initiation. You see, every new recruit starts out as a trainee. Depending on the potential and skill of the individual, the initiation phase, essentially a survival training, is shorter or longer. At the end is an obstacle tailored to the individual, a final test of courage and loyalty and then you're good to go. So really, it depends on your own will."

Naruto was feeling mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was all fired up and halt to be given this chance. On the other hand, he wondered, just how far he was behind the other trainees and if he could complete the training phase faster than the others. He wanted to be fast to get back to his friends in the village and to bring Sasuke back in the end.

"I see you are not entirely happy with this arrangement.", Danzo began, only kindness in his voice. "I know you want to go outside and be part of the village. But at Root, we are the shadow. We protect Konoha from threats that could otherwise destroy all those we hold dear. For the village, we give it our all. I was told you were a loyal shinobi, willing to give anything for the village and your comrades."

Naruto felt flattered and blushed. "I will do anything to protect my precious people."

"Then you are on your way to becoming the perfect Root shinobi. To save others, we take care of the darkness. We are but tools to protect the innocence of the village." What he said sounded reasonable. Yet Naruto didn't like the 'tool' part. That reminded him too much of Haku and Zabuza. "I will not be a tool, but a loyal ninja nonetheless, Sir."

"In time, you will understand. Come here, young trainee. I need you to sign these scrolls and add a little blood here."

"What does the blood do?"

"It's only so that you will be able to access HQ on your own, as they are protected with blood seals. The second scroll hinders you to give up the location of our base, willingly or unwillingly." Naruto nodded, without such precaution Root wouldn't have remained secret for long.

"Now to the last part." Danzo rummaged in the drawer of his mahogany desk and finally withdrew a blue name tag brooch. He threw it at the blond. As he read the name, his brows furrowed.

"Number 27?"

"Yes, 27 was initiated just yesterday. Alas, you will take her place. That will be your name as a trainee until you prove your worth."

"With respect, Danzo, but I like my name. And it's Naruto Uzumaki!"

"While at Root, you will be known as 27. That is a fact. Dismissed."

Naruto just stared at him, outraged. What was that old man thinking? How dare he degrade him like this? He was about to tell him his piece of mind when he was violently gapped at his arm and dragged out the office. Sai had been his handler.

"What the fuck Sai?"

"Just follow me 27 and stop making so much noise. It irritates me."

"Where are you taking me?"

"I assumed you were hungry. It is dinner time in just a bit and we do not want to be late."

The dining hall was already packed, there must have been sitting over 100 shinobi all clad in the same black training gear, all eating the same meal: White rice and some kind of vegetable/ meat paste. Not the food of the heavens, unfortunately.

For once, the ninja had left their masks and Naruto could study their faces. He gasped as he looked closely. Many were incredibly young, small enough to have just started the academy. However, they didn't resemble normal academy students at all. Despite their age, they fit right in with older, more experienced shinobi. His own guide, Sai, was a little older than him, but it couldn't be by much. Naruto was glad that he wasn't assigned to a younger person, he wasn't sure if he could take them seriously. Sai followed his gaze and decided to inform him a bit more. "Approximately 150 shinobi are part of Root at all times. 30 of that are trainees. Root shinobi work in squads, usually containing four or five members. We have 20 permanent squads and the rest jump between assignments, go on solo-missions or are acting as shinobi of Konoha in the meantime. Many live here, at the base, though some stay in the village. Mostly for appearances, though. And the trainees have to be here at all times."

"How do I know if they've already been initiated or not?"

"You can kind of read it on their faces, who is a trainee and who is an actual member."

"What? How is that?!"

"Well, let's just say that the initiation really takes a lot… of effort." Apparently, that was all Sai was gonna say on that matter.

"I noticed that most Root members are quite young…"

"Well, I would answer that age is relative, 27. How old are you?"

"Don't call me that name! And I'm 13 now."

Sai smiled in a very creepy and unnerving fashion. "As you wish, dickless. And you've been a shinobi for how long? A year?"

"Yeah around that you jerk."

"Then take a look at Odachi over there", he pointed at a little black haired boy, who was silently eating. "He's been a full member of my squad for about four years now."

That caused Naruto to spit out some of the rice he had just shoved into his mouth. "What? How is this possible? He is even younger than me!"

"Age can be deceiving here. He was seven when he finished initiation."

Naruto was amazed and at the same time a little bit disgruntled. Making children do missions didn't seem that great. "Surely those weren't all D-ranks, the missions your squad took I mean."

Sai actually laughed at that. For the first time, his face showed something different than a poor attempt at a faked smile. "So you can laugh for real!" He regretted saying those words immediately but alas, he couldn't take them back. He was greeted with an emotionless silence that neither broke as they continued picking their food uncomfortably. Eventually, Sai spoke again. "In order to survive this, you learn to discard your emotions."

"Sounds tough", Naruto voiced but wasn't really connecting the information to his own fate. He stared intently at the small children all over the hall. "Where are their parents?"

"You of all people should be able to guess."

Naruto swallowed down a bitter retort. Sai and he would probably need a lot more time to warm up. That guy was even more stuck up than Sasuke! Previously he wouldn't have thought such a feat possible. 'Oh well, it can always get worse, they say… What might Sasuke be doing right now?'

His musings were interrupted when Danzo entered the room. Immediately, all of Root stood to attention. The formed rows in front of a kind of stage platform at the end of the massive hall. Naruto followed suit and joined on the rows further away from the stage. As one, they all bowed to Danzo. Sai appeared next to him. "So you do learn after all", he smirked.

"What's going on?", he hissed.

"Just a plenum, dickless. It happens every other day."

Naruto was about to retort when Danzo spoke.

"My dear Root, first of all, we have a new recruit, as I am sure you have noticed. Please help him feel right at home with us." There was no applause, no smiles as everyone turned to stare at Naruto. 'Not creepy, at all' he thought and ran a hand through his hair. "Hi everyone, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, dattebayo! Nice to meet-" Just then a hand slapped on his mouth. "Quiet, 27. It's not your turn to talk." Sai's reaction seemed to please Danzo and he continued his speech.

"Unfortunately, there is yet another matter that needs to be addressed. Squad 16, step forward." As one, three shinobi stepped forward. They seemed tense and made Naruto wonder just what Danzo was up to. "Report", he simply demanded.

One figure stepped forward and bowed down deeply. "After our last mission, which was outside of the village, my squad was on their way home. Our newest member, Nagamaki, stepped away for a bit. I let her, as this was her first team mission after initiation, so I thought she deserved a little free time."

"It is not your place to think, Makibishi." Danzo's tone was cold as ice, the corners of his mouth twisted in a way befitting his anger.

"Yes, Danzo-sama."

"Continue."

"An hour later, we decided to look for Nagamaki. She was found at a playground, in contact with Konoha children."

A collective gasp went through the hall. "Bring Nagamaki", he ordered. At his command, two new shinobi arrived, one of which was a young girl, whose hands were bound behind her back. Her whole demeanor was downcast and upset. The other, her handler, was another stony-faced puppet.

"What do you have to say in your defense?"

"Please forgive me, Danzo-sama! I didn't mean to!" She was crying now.

"What were you doing, fraternizing with the enemy?"

Naruto frowned at that. So her crime was playing with other children? She couldn't have been older than six or seven. Yet she was already a squad member…

"What do you mean enemy?", he asked out loud before he could stop himself. He could practically feel Sai beside him urging to facepalm. Wasn't his problem though. What the heck was wrong with Danzo and his minions? Shocked whispers followed his question. Apparently, no one was supposed to question Danzo's words. Well, they hadn't met the great Naruto Uzumaki yet! "Why are you declaring Konoha children as enemies? And besides, what is wrong with letting a child join kids on the playground?"

"27, I see you are unfortunately following in your predecessor's footsteps. Disobedience will not be tolerated here, at Root."

"Predecessor? What are you talking about?"

"Well, Nagamaki here joined Squad 16 yesterday. Before that, she was known as 27. It doesn't bode well that you are already stepping out of line."

"I will take any punishment, Danzo-sama." The crying girl, Nagamaki, knelt before Danzo, so low she was almost kissing the ground.

"That was a great crime, and so soon after your initiation. I think, you rather need to learn your place now, before this becomes a habit." He signed to the other shinobi of squad 16. "A number eight should suffice. If you please."

Immediately, the three shinobi attacked the kneeling form from all sides. Kicking her with force. For a second, Naruto was shell-shocked. Then he reacted. In a blur he was beside the girl, shielding her and attacking the others in return. Eight bunshins appeared and formed a circle around the girl. "What the fuck is wrong with you people?", he yelled. "She is your comrade and you beat her up for having fun with some kids? While she herself is a kid?"

One by one, his clones were dispelled. But to his surprise, it wasn't squad 16 or Danzo, or any of the watching Root shinobi. No, it was the beaten, bloody girl in the middle of it all.

"I don't need you to disgrace me, 27", she spat at his original after the bunshins were dissolved. "I have failed Danzo-sama and for that, I will take my punishment!"

Naruto's world turned upside down. How? Why was she angry at him now? He had defended her from this sick show of power! Naruto turned around to face Danzo. "The way you treat your shinobi is wrong, it disgusts me!"

Danzo snapped his finger, and all of a sudden, Naruto found himself enwrapped in wood, from the shoulder down, he was unable to move. "You are one of my shinobi now, 27. And such disrespect will not be tolerated, new trainee or not. This cannot slide."

Naruto was livid. "If Tsunade-baa-chan knew about this, you'd be the one punished! How can you be so cruel towards your own people?"

"The Hokage has more important matters to attend, I assure you. Don't fret, we will take care of your unwillingness soon enough." Slowly, he approached Naruto and took out a piece of paper. He calmly pressed it against Naruto's neck, the only area, besides his head, not covered by wood. The seal sizzled as it met his skin, glowed blue and then disappeared.

"What did you do?", Naruto demanded to know. However, something was wrong. He repeated the words. Only, nothing came out, not a single tone was heard. "Hey!", he screamed, but the hall stayed quiet.

"Ah, peace and quiet. That is much better. Now, Sumi, please seal his chakra for the moment. He will not need it during the beginning of his training." As the wood around him disappeared, a red-haired teen knelt in front of him. "I'm sorry", he whispered and it seemed genuine. Naruto accepted his fate and held out his arm, which the red hair promptly drew on with black ink. 'No question where he got his name from. Sumi - ink. Well, not much worse than all these weapon names that the others have."

When Sumi was done, Naruto felt an emptiness inside him. Disconnected from a huge part of himself. Danzo saw his discomfort and smiled down at him. "This is lesson number one: Unless prompted, you will stay silent. Sai, show him to his sleeping quarters. He will not join the other trainees in the sleeping hall. Too much contact won't do him good."

"Yes, Danzo-sama."

Naruto felt humiliated and angry. Nobody had ever taken away his voice. Yes, he was a loud person and he frequently annoyed his team members with his volume. But they would be scandalized by the workings of this organization, too! Today he had acted the right way! Yet, no one supported him. The Root shinobi all found his behavior to be faulty, not the sick machinations of that old asshole. He shook his head… All he could do now was wait. As soon as he got his voice back, he would report to Tsunade. She had been suspicious of Danzo, after all. Turned out, with good reason.

They walked by a room of which the door had been removed. Inside he could make out over 20 futons. Children, the root trainees, were shuffling about, getting ready for the night. When there was talking, it was very hushed and quiet. 'Strange', Naruto thought, 'if I were with my teammates I'd be up talking with them half the night.' Sai seemed to read his thoughts. "Getting a full night of sleep is a rarity for them so they know better than to waste their time for anything else but resting." Naruto looked confused at that. "Sleep deprivation training", Sai shrugged and continued on. A few hallways across and stairs further down, the air began to change. I reeked of human waste and wails could be heard behind closed doors. Cells. Naruto didn't need to be told that. Abruptly, Sai stopped in front of one of these cell doors and drew a little blood with a kunai. He smeared the blood through a seal underneath the handle and immediately the heavy metal door swung wide open.

"Actually these cells are used for traitors and threats, or really naughty trainees. And I mean seriously naughty."

Naruto stood behind him and peeked inside. The cell was empty. That could only mean-! 'Oh shit! That ancient bastard!' Sai waited until his silent rage ebbed a bit, then gestured to the cell. Naruto snarled at him and made no move, but remained stubbornly where he stood.

"Listen, I don't know what you think of yourself, dickless, but this is not a game. You should respect Danzo or you will suffer for it."

Naruto huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. He gave him a look that clearly said he didn't care.

"You're the property of Root now, 27. The sooner you realize that you're on your own, that your so-called friends won't come to the rescue, the better." Sai smiled at him, but it might as well have been a snarl. "Welcome to Root, trainee, I hope you will enjoy your stay."

With these final words, he shut the cell and Naruto was left all alone in the dark cold room. There was no furniture at all, just one big, empty bowl, which he couldn't figure out the use for. The room was quite small, but in the darkness, he couldn't see the walls anyway.

Naruto screamed in frustration. But no sound escaped his throat. No noise to distract him, no light to give him hope, no blanket to warm him. He threw himself against the door as hard as he could, but without his chakra all hat accomplished was a fat bruise building on his shoulder. Still, he didn't give up so fast. Again and again, he hit the unbudging door, to no avail.

Naruto had felt loneliness before, hell, growing up as the village pariah had isolated him from the start. But it had been a long time since he had felt so utterly helpless. All that left to him, was to curse Danzo! He yelled at him in his head. When he got out, he'd show that slimy bastard Danzo! Naruto was gonna be Hokage, such a small thing was not intimating him at all! He was Konoha's number one surprising ninja and Danzo would do better to remember that.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another underground hideout, not too different from Root, Sasuke entered into Orochimaru's study. It was packed with shelves, overflowing with scrolls and books. All undoubtedly written on different clans' secrets and even forbidden jutsu.

"So nice of you to join me, Sasuke darling." Orochimaru's voice did this creepy little hissing sound at the end, which made Sasuke's arm hairs shoot up.

"I want you to finally start training me. I did not come here to sit on my hands." Straight to the point. He needed the other to start, to hurry up and get serious.

The older man closed in on him and whispered in his ear. "Why, it will be my pleasure to teach you about these things. Don't worry dear, I will be gentle."

"I don't want you to be gentle! I want it rough!"

"Are you certain that's wise? To put such a strain on your body from the start?"

"I can take it!"

"My, such a spirited one you are. It will be my honor and I'll make sure it'll be pleasurable for you, as well." The way his eyes were trailing down his body and undressing him in the process made him seriously uncomfortable. Suddenly, it dawned on Sasuke that they both were talking about distinctly different topics. His face transformed into one of those tomatoes he liked so much. Fucking pervert making him self-conscious!

Sasuke was brimming with anger. What was his business insinuating such things? Still, he tried to calm down. The angrier he got, the stronger the curse seal reacted. At the moment he didn't need its powers, so he tried suppressing it. 'Breathe. Stay in control', his mind repeated.

When he spoke, his voice could have cut through steel. "I came here to become stronger, Orochimaru. Not to get your dick up my ass."

The snake Lord sighed and then smirked. "Then how about the other way around? I feel a bit adventurous today."

Sasuke's breath hitched as the other was too close for comfort, too close to let him smell anything but that disgustingly sweet perfume Orochimaru used. The other man utterly repelled him.

"No, I wish to train and nothing more", he bit out. "If you can't give me that, I'll just leave."

"Don't be like that my little Sasuke. I'll train you, promise." He leaned down and nibbled his earlobe gently before whispering. "But everything comes at a price. You already left your cute blond boyfriend behind for me, so what's keeping you?"

"Naruto is not my boyfriend. I'm straight, you bastard. I can see you won't train me properly today, so I'll leave. Go fuck Kabuto if you're that needy, seriously." Pissed, Sasuke stormed off to relieve some tension in the training hall. He would have to train alone yet again, it seemed.

"You're in denial!", sang the hissing voice as he ran through the corridors. Seriously the Sannin were just a bunch of perverts that made decent shinobi. He sighed. Hopefully, he would become stronger, fast. He wanted to get away from this hellhole finish off that bastard brother of his. And then… he wasn't sure what would happen after. He wanted to revive his clan but that was way in the future. He was still too young for a family. The mental picture of a mob of blond hair flashed behind his eyes. Naruto. Team 7. Kakashi. Could he even return to the village? According to Orochimaru's sources, Sasuke hadn't been declared a missing-nin yet. Peculiar. Yet strangely satisfactory.

He couldn't seriously miss the dobe now could he? Yes they had been friends. But they had never seen eye to eye. Never had truly connected over anything. Truth be told, that was mostly his fault since Naruto had really tried hard to gain his approval. And Sasuke had damaged that bond. It was just that, just that his goal was much more pressing, much greater than his own happiness. Avenging his clan was the number one priority. The Uchiha were a proud clan. As such, having a traitor unaccounted for was simply unacceptable. Not to mention the one who had been supposed to be the next clan head, being the one to slaughter them all.

'Why couldn't Itachi just wait till it was his turn to become clan head? He would have been in power, he would have been admired and adored! Why did he kill them all instead?'

Naruto was a better brother than Itachi. Not one he could look up to, admittedly. But one that would support him, share the pain. One that wouldn't double-cross him. Being confessed to was strange... He didn't want Naruto to turn into a fan girl. But likely this wouldn't happen now anyway, their bond was broken. Maybe one day Naruto would understand his hardships, even forgive him for his defection. If not, then at least he had fulfilled the duty to his clan. 'No need to regret my decision, just carry on and stay focused.'

* * *

 **Next: Naruto never did appreciate the quiet...**

 **Please let me know what you think. Will Naruto be able to retain his old self? How can he escape the situation? Will he start to resent Tsunade and Sasuke?**


	5. New family

**I want to start off by thanking everyone for their reviews! Your input is greatly appreciated and helps me improve the story. Another thing, the story centers around Naruto, Sai, Sasuke, and Itachi (and possibly more characters such as Kakashi and Tenzou in the future). Even though it's very Naruto-heavy at the moment, I promise that Itachi will appear soon. I just want to focus on telling the story properly and give Naruto some character development, before he will finally meet Itachi again. That being said, I hope you will be patient and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 4

 _New family_

Quiet. Everything was eerily quiet. Naruto had lost all sense of time while he stared into the darkness around him. He had finally figured out what the empty bucket had been there for after his bladder had become really irritated with him. That had been hours ago. Still no sign of visitors. He got up from the floor. Damn chakra seals. They were also interfering with his healing and his shoulders and arms looked like expressionistic paintings. Not that he could actually see them; but he could feel them, alright. He hammered against the door. Desperately he punched his knuckles against the hard stone again and again. Finally, there was blood, yet he continued on. Hoping, someone would come and relieve him from this prison.  
How long could they be mad at him for voicing his opinion? Seriously Danzo was mad! He couldn't really expect him to just accept the beating of a small kid?! And how they had all just stood around, it made him snarl. Pathetic! 'Those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash.' Kakashi-sensei's words rang in his mind. He had done the right thing! And he did not regret it. Just then, his stomach decided to growl. He curled up on the earthen floor and concentrated on his breathing. It took a long time, but finally, he was asleep.

A few days later, Naruto was ready to go mad. His mind was killing him. Thinking had never been one of his strengths and to be forced to only spend time with himself was the worst thing imaginable. 'Will I ever go outside again? Will I ever see the sun again? Why are they doing this to me? What the heck is wrong with them? That is definitely not what I signed up for. Seriously, first that despicable argh - Danzo tells me he'll train me and then he just throws me away. He didn't even test my skills or anything. So why am I all alone here? What is this doing to me? It has been several days, at least judging by the meals they leave at my feet. Somehow they always manage to slip it in when I'm asleep. Man their timing is pretty good. What am I thinking I shouldn't be praising them! What the fuck? The bastards! ARGH! But I'll try really hard and then I'll stay awake and I'll slip out when they bring me food!"

Naruto was really determined to stay awake. But that didn't do well. In sleep, he could at least escape his harsh thoughts. The longer he stayed isolated, the darker his thoughts became. He was turning into a bumbling mess. Too often his thoughts strayed to Sasuke. And the villagers and their hate. The fact that he was the Kyuubi container.  
'Sasuke hates me. And he has no reason to! I was always there for him! Supporting him! And what does he do? He fucking yanks Chidori through my chest! Like seriously is that how you treat a friend? And he even had the nerve to laugh at me after I told him I loved him! How dare he? But still, Sasuke is suffering too! I can still save him, it's just that he is too focused on revenge right now. Really Itachi should get the award for shittiest brother ever!"  
There was a fanfare in his mind and applause sounded in the distance. "Welcome to the show dear audience! Today I present to you the shittiest brother award in like ever. We have the following nominees: First up: Neji Hyuuuuga! - He's not a brother! - True, but he acts like a right bastard to Hinata! Next up is Itachi Uchiha! Famous, brilliant and utterly completely emotionless. Not to mention the large scale he goes on to prove that he really doesn't care about his little brother. Last but not least - NARUTO UZUMAKI! What? Why me? What did I do? BESIDES I DON'T EVEN HAVE A BROTHER! Really shows how shitty this show is… But did you not declare that you were brothers? Then why do you want to snog him so badly? Really do you think incest is okay?! But hey we are not related by blood! Yeah, that's why he chose Itachi over you. Blood is thicker than water they say…"  
It was official. Naruto hated his thoughts. He hated having been degraded in such a chaotic way. But the longer he stayed up to wait for a person to come, the worse his concentration got and his thoughts trailed off more and more. He didn't like having bizarre scenarios playing in his head. Well, some he didn't mind. Like his fantasies where Sasuke would come home to him and pull him it a fierce kiss. He loved it; until he woke up and realized he was utterly alone and stuck in a dark cell. That realization always hit him like Sakura's chakra punches. Being alone felt like being abandoned by Sasuke all over again. Tears welled up in his eyes. He didn't deserve this feeling. It was horrible! Absolute nightmare! His throat hurt and he wanted to yell, scream, rage; however, only his fist made sounds as they connected with the wall. The pain kept him alive. Somewhat grounded. There was nothing else, no other sensation but the throbbing pain that shot up his fist, worming itself all the way up his shoulder, to his stiff neck. The pain was all he had left.  
Eventually, he fell asleep again and when he woke, there was a delicious smell flowing into his nose. As he robbed closer to the mouthwatering smell, his heart beat in excitement. There was actual Ramen there! And it was still warm! When he slurped the noodles in satisfaction he cried out in joy. Silent tears fell down his cheeks. Yet he also felt desperate. Would he ever be able to taste Teuchi's Ramen again? Would he ever be able to do what he wanted again and be free? Even the amazing food couldn't keep his thoughts positive. He had missed meeting his prison guards again, no sign of human contact. If he had just stayed awake a little longer…

* * *

Naruto had tried everything. Meditation. Counting. Push-ups. Pulling his hair. Anything, just keep his thoughts clear. Maybe some of this had helped maybe it had made his mental state worse. He wouldn't know since this was a situation unlike any before. How long had he been alone in this cell now? Two weeks? A month? A year? Honestly, he did not have the slightest clue. Food was just enough not to starve but didn't really give him much energy. Nor was it a great culinary experience. After that Ramen one time, it had been back to dried stuff or unrecognizable mashed up stuff.  
His brain was deteriorating, sadly. He knew this from the few moments of clarity he had. Mostly though, he drifted through memories incoherently. Going into one another, mixing, jumbling, tumbling and twisting. Sometimes he heard voices of his precious people. Other times feel saw a light by the door, someone opening it to let him out. He knew those illusions weren't real, but they eased the pain a little bit. In the end, he just felt empty. All possible thoughts had been thought about and all energy had left him. Now, he was so utterly spent and alone that he could do nothing but feel. He wasn't Naruto anymore. He was no one in particular, just a passing thought, just something that could receive sensations and react to them. He didn't have thoughts for himself, he was not active, but passive. Something artificial, like a humanoid machine?  
All of a sudden, there was a strange sensation in his head, almost like a voice invading his mind. It sounded soft, likable. The machine was surprised. Could it be? Was he no longer alone? The voice spoke and it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard in his life. "To be a shinobi is to sacrifice yourself for the village. You are a tool to be used by Danzo-sama." Danzo! That name brought memories back, but they were unpleasant. Naruto wanted to snarl, the happy smile the voice had brought, disappeared. "Danzo is a fucking bastar-", his thoughts were interrupted by sharp pain. His head hurt like someone had trampled on it. When it finally let up again, the voice spoke. It told of the ninja rules and of the life of a tool. And each time Naruto responded negatively to the name Danzo, he would get an aching pain dulling his senses further. The harder he fought that pain, the stronger it got. Eventually, the voice quieted and he felt devastated. Left alone, to fend for himself, again. Luckily the words that had been spoken to him echoed in his mind and kept him occupied. They were like a path in the forest or like a rope to hold onto.

It was a few meals later that he had another break down in a coherent moment. Maybe he had imagined the voice? Was he going mad? He couldn't remember what he was doing here. Where was this place? Oh yeah, that was Root punishment. He wasn't in charge at all. Nothing made sense. This was worse than death. If it meant being free from this prison he wouldn't mind dying, he pondered. Honestly, being mad was probably his best shot at surviving this ordeal. Did Tsunade know what he was going through? Had she abandoned him on purpose? Probably no to both of them but he was feeling a little spiteful. Tsunade would never knowingly let him stay in such a place. Or did she? After all, he had attacked her. The Kyuubi was at fault but did she know that? Maybe. He thought he hated the fox but had he access to the evil chakra, he could have escaped. Well, any chakra would be really helpful in this situation. But it was sealed, Danzo had seen to that. At least, now he couldn't turn into a monster on a whim. The villagers wouldn't like that for sure, neither would Tsunade. How could someone as pathetic as him ever hope to become Hokage?  
" _Don't be sad, 27_ ", a voice was in his head again. "You also have a _purpose_ , just as every shinobi, you have the honor of fighting for your home. Do not despair. The village is all you need. _Danzo-_ sama is the person that will help you achieve your dream."  
"My dream?"  
"Of course, 27. He will help you keep your precious people safe."  
"My precious people?"  
"Your _family_." He only heard the voice, but he thought whoever he was talking to was smiling.  
"I have family?", he asked bewildered.  
"Silly! Don't you know? _Your family is here, at Root_!"  
"I don't see my family! SASUKE!" 27 was crying. He didn't know where that name came from, but he was utterly terrified by the feelings that accompanied it. Who was Sasuke? Why did it hurt so bad? How could he make it stop?

* * *

Once again the voice was helping 27 get through the madness of his isolation.  
"Where is my family?" He was sobbing in his mind.  
"Can't you feel them? They are all around you!"  
"There is no one!", he insisted.  
"You are not alone. Just feel them. It might be hard, but you can do it. Danzo-sama has high hopes for you, so don't disappoint him."  
"What about you?"  
"What?"  
"Do you have high hopes for me too?"  
"I am but a _tool_ for Danzo-sama. My feelings and thoughts are not important. But his goals are my goals. His dreams my dreams. Now, try reaching the other tools around you. Can you feel them? Their chakra?"  
He couldn't. But that didn't mean he wouldn't. In fact, this challenge was very welcome. At least he had something to do now other than think.

* * *

Sai was impressed. A feat which was not easily accomplished. Naruto Uzumaki, known as Number 27 now, or dickless in his head, had been in isolation for more than 3 weeks now. 23 days to be exact. And he still hadn't broken, he still retained a sense of self. That spoke of a hardened spirit, in fact, no one before had held out this long. He and his squad had been keeping watch over him the whole time. Naginata, his female teammate, was a Yamanaka orphan, and as such very helpful in checking the mental state of their charge. To make sure that 27 became a loyal tool for all the others.  
The reason Danzo-sama hat ordered 27 to go into isolation was that the blood seals hadn't worked on Naruto's tough mind yet. That first day in his office, when Naruto had signed the seals with his blood, he had actually been pulled into a strong mind-compelling seal. It was supposed to keep from informing outsiders of the organization but also ensured loyalty over time. When the victim so much as thought badly of Danzo, they would feel pain immediately. The longer and darker the thoughts were, the greater the pain that ensued. Treason was something that just didn't happen at Root. Of course, some members, like Sai had learned how to work around that. Excellent shinobi learned to adapt after all and they were usually strong-willed. Alas, in order for the mind seal to really work, the mind had to be weakened. At least in the beginning. Therefore, his team was in charge of breaking him. Not too much of course. Their mission was still to craft him into the perfect tool, and nobody had a use for a broken, psychotic mess. So his teammate and expert on the mind, Naginata, had suggested they comfort him with his favorite food. Truly, Sai had never expected such a positive reaction. But the power of those salty, fatty noodles really did revive some spirit in him. Almost too much so and they had to prolong his stay a bit.

Finally, after six long weeks in the isolation cell, 27 was ready to start his training in person. After being deprived of human contact for so long, he would be more than happy to having his thoughts reshaped and mind sculpted. Sai was proud. 'We'll make the perfect tool out of you yet', he smiled as he thought about his own creation. Naruto had been a loud, boasting ninja. 27 would become silent, deadly and obedient. Just like they all were. And then he'd help Sai bring down Danzo-sama... Just then a harsh pain filled his being and Sai did his best not to cry out. Behind his mask, his squadmates could not see his discomfort and he was glad having to wear the thing while on duty. He drew in a deep breath and focused his mind elsewhere.  
It was time to start teaching 27. The tool was ready to be sharpened.

* * *

_  
The voice helped him through the emptiness. With great yearning, he awaited the moments in which they would talk together. She was a tool for Danzo-sama, she had said. He was like her, she'd told him. And finally, she had helped him sharpen his perception, to finally feel them too. 27 was not alone anymore. In fact, there were over a hundred tools not far from him at all. He knew their chakra signature very well by now and yearned to meet them in the flesh. Soon he'd be able to fight together with them, to go on missions and prove his worth. 27 was ready for the training he would have to go through before. He couldn't remember if he'd ever had training before, but that didn't matter. In time, he would be sharpened and then he'd get the honor of a name, as well. He couldn't wait! Oh but wait! The voice had said that emotions were unnecessary. He should be observant, unjudging. So, he waited calmly in the cell. Masking his chakra. All this time it had been there, unusable to him because of the seals he had received. In fact, the seals were still as strong as ever, but he didn't need chakra, to feel other chakra signatures. For jutsu, one needed to mold their own chakra. But to mask one's chakra and to perceive other chakra signatures, one needed to develop a new sense. Really, those were fundamentally different types of chakra usage. The voice had taught him all about it and about shinobi rules. The gratitude he felt for helping him become a better tool to Danzo-sama could not be expressed in words. He just hoped he could repay it in person one day. "You are ready, 27", she said finally and he couldn't agree more.

* * *

 **Next: Will he regain his memories? Will he become the perfect tool? Training begins for real!**

 **It was hard for me to write about Naruto losing his mind and his spirit but I hope I succeeded in making it somewhat realistic. If it were me, I would have broken down after 2 days I think... But Naruto is something else definitely.**


	6. A tool's bonds

Chapter 5

 _A tool's bonds_

The doctor looked at the dark haired man sitting in front of him with concern. "I'm sorry, son. There is nothing I can do. In this stage the disease is fatal." The words only affirmed what Itachi had figured on his own. He got impatient, as the doctor looked at him with pity. Pity he didn't deserve.  
"How long?"  
"Three years at most, and I recommend bed rest. Try to put as little strain on your body as possible, or you might not even get two more years."  
"Hn." Nothing he could follow, but the man didn't need to know that.  
Itachi had to fight back a smile. "Thank you", he said shortly and got up to leave. Any other 18-year-old would have broken down and cried. Not Itachi. Not just because he was controlling his emotions, which he was doing constantly anyway, but because to him this was not a disaster. Unlike other teenagers, to him, the disease was salvation: Only three more years until his body would spare him more constant pain. It was nice to know that while he still had to fulfill plans in his remaining time, his days were numbered. But before he could finally lay to rest, there was much to accomplish. He had to put a stop on Akatsuki for one. Spying on them was the first step and it was high time he returned to Konoha to talk with the new Hokage about countermeasures. He hadn't met Tsunade personally yet, but she seemed strong and caring enough to carry on the fight against the terror organization. Before that could happen however, he needed to get rid of Kisame. Already he was taking liberties of visiting a doctor in his own time without his partner knowing about it. But he didn't want the leader or Madara to find out about his condition. If they thought he was useless to them, they wouldn't share the important details with him anymore. That just wouldn't do.  
So how should he go about this? Maybe if he got close enough to Konoha's borders to send a bunshin he could report to Tsunade-sama, while straying just a little from Kisame and not enough to warrant caution on his partner's end. Well, there was this one shady brothel in a little village close enough to Konoha, where the blue fishface loved spending time. Yes, this could work. Kisame wouldn't know about his sickness, nor would he find out about his loyalty to the leaf. Itachi would make absolutely sure of that.  
A coughing fit abruptly ripped him from his musings. A most unpleasant experience. And with time it would only get worse, the doctor had prophesied him. At least he wouldn't suffer all that long... 'Two years', he thought, because there was no way to get the proper rest, 'time to get started.'

* * *

Danzo smiled down at his newest tool. 27 Had been released from his isolation just yesterday and was meeting him for the first time. Squad two certainly had accomplished a brilliant feat. This young ninja would finally be susceptible to Root's philosophy, finally malleable into the strength his village and he himself needed. Too funny that Tsunade had so foolishly given away her greatest tool, without real resistance. The Kyuubi still needed to be controlled, but that would be easier to accomplish now than ever. Without nasty morals getting in the way. He chuckled. To think that Hiruzen had tried to avoid this was really ironic. How had that soft idiot not seen the potential that was standing to attention right at this moment? The Kyuubi was right where he belonged, finally.  
"Danzo-sama", 27 said hoarsely as soon as his muteness seal was removed. The apparent respect in his voice did not go unnoticed by Danzo.  
"I see the time to think on your own has taught you well, 27."  
"Thank you Danzo-sama", the tool seemed pleased.  
"Now, you will start training on your skills, 27. Any lack of discipline, improvement, and disobedience will not be tolerated."  
"Understood, sir."  
"Very well. I expect great things from you, 27. Do me proud." He smiled just a little and the tool's eyes shone with awe.  
"I will not fail you, Danzo-sama."

* * *

Sai sighed tiredly. It had been a long, tiring month. After releasing 27 from his cell, they had to start integrating him into their daily life at Root. Naturally, at first they had to check him up with medic-nins. Six weeks in isolation and with minimal movement had strained his body and weakened him. They had to start to rehabilitate him slowly. If Danzo would just allow 27 his chakra back, then the Kyuubi would heal him immediately. But no, the long way it was.  
They spent a lot of time with their new charge, but with his mind fucked up as well, he wasn't even any fun to tease. It was Sai's fault that dickless had ended this way, but he didn't feel guilty about it. A tool was a tool, and emotions were hindering. Especially once initiation came around. Naruto, as he had been, wouldn't have survived that. But 27 wouldn't shatter at the challenge. Sai would prepare him well for that as he felt he owed that to him, at least.  
So, they had started on slow workouts to build muscles. Then, they had taught him Taijutsu. His skills were abysmal, so there was a LOT to work on. Shuko, another subordinate of his team, was specializing in several styles that were suitable to their charge and squad two remained in charge of 27's training.  
Of course, this would not have been all that tiring, if Danzo didn't expect them to also keep up with other missions at the same time. At night they headed out to do deliveries, assassinations, guard duty - routines basically - but was always one member short for whoever stayed to guard 27. That meant they were overworked and unhappy this fine morning in the training hall.  
The whole of squad 2 was assembled: Young Odachi was yawning loudly, but other than that stayed quiet as usual. His skills at genjutsu were unparalleled in all of Root and he was Sai's favorite member of the squad. Naginata, a loyal shinobi for Danzo, or so it would seem. She was great at manipulation and torture, anyone's mind was an open book to her. Then there was Shuko, whose head was full of shit, basically. Sai hated that insufferable prick and his fake casualness when they all were tools and knew it. Still, squad 2 was well rounded, if a little unstable at times. Basically, they were known as the crazy bunch, but since their missions were uncannily successful, they were ranked second best Squad. Only Kinoe's squad was named number one and they had crazy power-houses on their side what with the wood user being captain and also sprouting a genius sealmaster, too.  
With suqad 2 assembled, they were to start the more emotionally taxing parts of 27's education: To ensure that all his former emotional ties were cut, the trainee would have to kill the people he had once cherished. Naginata's mind jutsu found out which person to imitate and then Sai created some clones to kill, perfected with Odachi's genjutsu.  
"There are some enemies you are required to kill." Sai instructed and the blond ninja nodded and glanced at his first target: A dark-haired girl with pearly white eyes, who Sai had once seen from some distance.  
"Yes", 27 replied softly and made to attack. His voice still hurt even now that the silence seal was gone. It didn't matter. He had orders.

* * *

27 noticed something was off. He had just slashed the throat of a pink-haired shinobi when suddenly there was great agony shooting through his mind. He didn't understand. Where did this deep remorse come from? The tool shook his head as if to throw the pain away and signaled Sai. Another target appeared: This one was a silver-haired shinobi who wore a black fabric over the lower part of his face. Immediately he tried to categorize his skillset and estimate his rank, as he had been trained to do when first facing an opponent. Yet, something else was on his mind. Somehow, the enemy felt familiar. That orange book in his hand as well. Should that ring a bell? He wasn't sure.  
"Today if you'd please, 27!", came a mock salute from Shuko. That ninja wore a hint of mischief on him, which 27 found very pleasant, if unusual. He couldn't say why he felt like this. After all, jokes had no use on the battlefield.  
Without warning, 27 ran up to the shinobi, whom he categorized as a jounin, and now stepped out of the way fast. He tried his newly trained skills in taijutsu, throwing punch after punch, but the jounin was responding with great skill and didn't let himself be hit. After a while he figured this opponent really was a ninja of great skill.  
"What are you doing? Why are you attacking me, Naruto?", the enemy yelled, just as a kick connected to his abdomen. 27 heaved and got up instantly. Trying to get him to lower his guard by chumming up to him wouldn't work. No such tricks would ever distract him.  
Eventually, he got the enemy with a kunai piercing his heart. 'Looks like red rain', 27 observed curiously and turned to his instructors.  
"Next one coming up. Try to beat it within two minutes this time."  
His only response was a nod. That would be a challenge; one, he definitely wouldn't fail. To disappoint his instructors and Danzo-sama, in turn, was simply unthinkable. Those thoughts were swirling in his mind before he looked at the new opponent in front of him.

And then he stood there. A dark-haired youth with a frown greeted him. 'Sasuke!' Feelings of joy, companionship and -was that fear?- mixed in his gut. It was him! The other had returned! He was overwhelmed! What was going on? Why was Sasuke there?  
"I said you have a time frame", Sai stated calmly.  
"What?" Very eloquent.  
"Attack him for fuck's sake, you idiot! How dense can you be?" Shuko shook his head.  
"I don't want to!" Naruto wasn't sure what was going on, but Sasuke was here and somehow he had made it outside the cell. Come to think of it, why couldn't he remembered how he'd gotten here? For a moment he concentrated intensely and he got some hazy memories in return. Like thinking about a dream you had the night before. Somehow they made him beat clones that looked like his precious people... That thought sickened him. How could they? How dare they play him like this?  
"Why would you make me kill someone who looks like Sasuke? It's not like that is something I will need on the field. I would never attack my comrades!" Naruto's voice grew on volume as he almost yelled those words angrily into Sai's face. Shuko scowled. "It's not your place to ask why we have you do an exercise, 27. Did you hit your head again?" He winked at him. Actually winked! That guy had some nerve!  
"Look I don't know who you think you are Mr entitled-sama, but listen closely: I DON'T FUCKING HURT MY FRIENDS!"  
"Oi, I think dickless here has the hots for the Uchiha traitor." Sai mocked, in order to hide his unease at the sudden display of emotion.  
"Seems like it! Hey 27, if you feel lonely, I'm sure Sai will help you in the bedroom. He swings both ways you know."  
"Shut up, wanker", Sai snarled playfully. "I could always do you, I'm sure you'd enjoy it."  
Naruto exploded into the middle of their playfight. "NO, YOU SHUT UP! AND MY DAMN NAME IS NOT 27 BUT BLOODY NARUTO UZUMAKI! Is it so hard to fucking remember that, YOU BASTARDS?"

Naginata looked really distressed now and gestured at the silent Odachi. The dark-haired male appeared behind Naruto and with a swift blow to the back of his neck, he was out cold.  
"Such a strong reaction", Naginata breathed out, real wonder in her voice.  
Shuko just scratched his face. "Well, that could have gone better."  
"And I thought we had made progress. Naginata, what do you make of this situation?" Sai was uneasy about this whole situation. The conditioning should have turned him into an emotionless shell, much like he himself was. Yet Naruto had just miraculously returned to them, only because of a bunshin at that.  
"If it's as I fear, then we are in trouble and need to meet with Danzo-sama right away!", she hastily replied. All signs pointed to one thing. Naginata was sorry for not having caught it sooner and was hoping it wasn't too late yet. If Naruto's, no the trainee's mind had snapped in half, then they would have to deal with a psychotic ninja in the future… Him being a Jinchuuriki furthered the problem. That was something that might endanger them in the future if they couldn't rectify the problem. How was it possible that his emotions had returned to him?  
She still remembered how she had monitored him and assessed the progress on his mind.

 _Naginata was actually starting to feel respect towards the boy. Naruto was a very kind person. She knew this from the first time she had visited him in his mind. Her specialty being mind communication and psychoanalysis were the reasons why she was entrusted with observing the trainees. This one though was special. He was older and more experienced than the other children she usually had to observe. That was why they had to keep him isolated for so long. Had she any deep emotions left, her heart would ache for him. Danzo-_ sama _had given them orders, so she would obey, but she hated leaving a poor soul lonely and broken like this._  
 _As mind_ specialist _she knew how taxing that ordeal was. And when she went into his mind to comfort and teach him, she felt his despair. That was why she had to make a decision: The torture that he went through could be eased if he didn't remember his former friendships. He would turn_ into _a blank leaf, and thus wouldn't be constantly hurting anymore. Yes, those bonds would be lost, but he could form new ones. Otherwise, she feared, he might turn mad from the heartache. She really didn't want to destroy his bonds, that was very private and not for her to manipulate. But there was no other way!_  
 _Besides, as Root ninja, he couldn't be tied to someone else. His loyalty had to be absolute._  
 _Therefore, with a heavy heart, she went deep into his unconscious mind. When she found the red strands that visualized the bonds he shared with other people, she sighed. Shakily, she imagined a pair of scissors that promptly appeared in her hand._  
 _As an orphan, he at least didn't have any family ties. Usually, those familial ties were the hardest to cut off, because they were so ingrained into the very being of a person, it was impossible to not leave traces. So she resigned herself to doing a quick cutting the strands loose and having Naruto, er 27, latch onto the next easiest target for emotional support._  
 _As she tried to cut them, Naginata noticed there was something special about this person. His bonds just wouldn't break. They didn't consist of fabric, rather they were tough as steel. No matter how much she tried to, they wouldn't budge. So she did the only thing she could think of - confuse his mind and hide these bonds behind a veil. Now they weren't truly gone, but at least he wouldn't go through painful memories with them until he somehow gained access to them. Which, in her estimation, might never happen or take at least a few years._  
She had not expected the bunshin training to undo all of that in a matter of seconds, otherwise, she would have consulted with the others first. Now, she hoped fervently that her foolishness wouldn't be the reason for him to break.

As camly as possible, she explained the dilemma to her master. "So really his conscious and unconscious mind are battling for dominance. They are not in harmony anymore, thus making him unpredictable and volatile. After conditioning his subconscious for so long, his subconscious strategy for survival is apathy. Just the opposite of his former persona, who was putting friendship above all else. I don't know how to reconcile the two of them. I recommend keeping him asleep until we find a solution, Danzo-sama." Naginata bowed as she finished her report.  
Danzo was pacing in his office. Naginata was alarmed: When he was in such a mood, that never did bode well…

* * *

Danzo knew that drastic measures had to be taken. This just couldn't go on. According to the reports, 27 was on his way to form a split personality in order to accommodate his subconscious response. He was programmed to be emotionless, but his conscious mind was actually fighting for dominance every waking moment. And it was winning, as well! That just wouldn't do! A tool was to have no will of its own, it had to serve and take pleasure in doing so. Since Danzo had no way of ensuring that the unconscious mind was the one dominating at all times, he had to take action:  
He had to make the blond boy willing to lose his emotions. So far torture had not led him to abandon the needless feelings. Therefore, it wasn't recommendable to continue this route. Not if he wanted a functioning ninja as a result. Still, he had to make Naruto want to turn into 27 permanently, want to lose his emotions. If not because he couldn't bare them, then maybe for someone else's sake? Indeed, that was a perfect idea. This was the way to get both sides in his mind to work in harmony again.

* * *

Naruto woke up in a hospital bed and felt disoriented. Memories of the past weeks slammed into his mind. Mostly, he didn't understand what was going on. He knew he was in Danzo's grasp and that they had kept him isolated to ensure his willingness. And it had almost worked, too! He didn't remember all that much from his time in hell, and he was glad for it. He also realized that he was in danger. Danzo obviously did not have his well being at heart. So he needed to get away, fast. Then he noticed that his chakra was still sealed. Fat chance at getting away from a super secret hideout with an army of crazy emotionless killers to keep him.  
Swallowing, Naruto resigned himself to his fate. At least he was himself again, not a tool and not loyal to that asshole Dan- "ARGH!" He screamed as pain rushed through his body like poison in his bloodstream. 'Damn blood seal', he had almost forgotten it!

At once, the door was opened and in strolled the devil: Danzo himself wanted to pay his humble self a visit. What a pleasant surprise. Naruto wanted to curse his ass to hell and back, but he realized that that might be cumbersome. If he needed to become a great actor to get away, he would do just that.  
"Danzo-sama", he even bowed his head for show. It was surprisingly easy to follow his subconscious wish to submit to Danzo.  
Danzo seemed pleased at this show of deference. "How are you feeling?"  
 _'Like shit._ \- A tool's wellbeing is unimportant.' He settled for something in between. "Better."  
"That is good to hear, Naruto."  
Said ninja's head shot up at this, eyes wide. 'Shit, I'm exposed -Danzo cares for me? - Of course he does, I'm his precious tool. Damn, my head has been screwed with.'  
"Yes, I know that 27 isn't in charge currently. Don't be surprised, Naruto. You are quite easy to read. Though the respect is appreciated."  
"So what do you want then? I'm not your broken tool, as you know." 'Not yet. But damn close...'  
"Indeed and I am happy about that."  
He was surprised and definitely confused. "Was that not why you tortured me for weeks in isolation? To break me?"  
Danzo shook his head and met his gaze evenly. "I never wanted to break you. You just had to learn how to control your emotions."  
Naruto laughed at that. "By turning me into an empty zombie? You have to be kidding me."  
"Perhaps it was not the best procedure I admit. But you were also a special case."  
"What do you mean?"  
"You are more strong-willed than other recruits. More set in your ways, too. Therefore, we had to go a bit further to make you understand our ideals."  
"Yeah, well. You might consider that in the future because obviously, it didn't work." And Naruto was happy about that. He didn't want to give Danzo the satisfaction of breaking him. No, he had to stay focused on his goals and not lose himself.  
"Obviously." Danzo seemed amused, but Naruto couldn't figure out why. Danzo continued. "I think it is time to change the approach, wouldn't you agree?" Naruto just tilted his head, grudgingly curious about what he had to propose.  
"Let's strike a deal here, Naruto. If you become a loyal and obedient shinobi for me, if you agree to give the training your all and abandon your emotions, in favor of becoming the best shinobi you can be; if you do that then I will assist you in bringing Sasuke Uchiha back to Konoha. You will be placed on missions where you can retrieve information on Orochimaru. Additionally, I will make sure that he is not marked as missing-nin. Otherwise, he will be branded as a traitor soon enough and won't be welcomed back here. He would face prison or execution on the run. However, with my support, he will be granted immunity for the time being and I will let him enter Root upon his return. You just need to become my willing tool, and I will help you reach your goal. What do you say?"  
Naruto swallowed. Danzo was a scheming-! - his thoughts were cut off by pain. He took a deep breath. This deal was incredible good. How else could he hope to bring Sasuke back? How else would the village accept his return? It was uncanny how well Danzo knew his wishes, but at least the decision was easy.  
Naruto shouldn't agree to this, if he wanted to stay himself, to retain his personality. On the other hand, he might not be able to endure this life with his feelings intact. All the trauma and hurt he had gone through in the last months, ever since Sasuke had abandoned him. No, actually before that, when Jiji had died. Ever since then he was feeling so much pain and sorrow in his heart. Without those to hurt him, to distract him, he would definitely be better off. If training the last weeks was anything to go by, then he was in for another round in hell... And then when the missions finally started, well, he didn't want to think about that just yet.  
Was it not better to go through his ordeal here at Root with a purpose? _To get something in return for his suffering?_ He hated Danzo for it, but there was nothing he could do to change his situation.  
"Deal," was all he managed to grit out before the pain was too much and he succumbed to darkness.

* * *

 **Next: The end of innocence**  
 **Little Itachi teaser there! He finally appears! ;) Sorry for making his part so short. He will appear again soon though. Naruto's transition is just about complete now. Tell me what you think? And what would you like to read in the future?**


	7. Initiation

**Hello my dear readers,**  
 **thanks so much for the support you have given me so far! Each comment makes my day and your messages fill me with happiness!**  
 **About this chapter, before confusion arises, I just wanted to inform you that there is a significant time jump. Naruto's training at Root will be revealed step by step with individual flashbacks rather than continuing a linear approach. I hope I don't disappoint, and any character development you might be confused about on Naruto's side will be revealed eventually. So please be open-minded, and enjoy!**

Chapter 6

 _Initiation_

Naruto accepted the scroll Danzo handed him. "You have five days to carry out the mission and return to base. Dismissed."  
He nodded. "Yes, Danzo-sama." Calmly, he walked out the office and to the weaponry. He needed to stock for his first mission. Finally, the day he had awaited with excitement and dread equally had arrived. It was time for his initiation.  
As he packed rations, kunai and shuriken in the various pouches on his body, he reflected upon the last twelve months of training he had gone through. The training was brutal, yet undeniably effective.  
Chakra control? Emotional control? Taijutsu, an actual style and not just sloppy academy stances? An abundance of jutsu of all elemental natures? Sealing? Check to all of them. He had even learned the basics of Kenjutsu and was undeniably skilled with his tanto. In the field you needed to be prepared for any situation, after all. The only thing that Naruto hadn't managed at this point was the Kyuubi's chakra. That was actually a sore topic for him and Danzo both.  
After many, many sessions meditating with Naginata, he had finally managed to achieve a perfectly rational state of mind. It was called "the cold heart" and was primarily developed to be used by shinobi who had to deal with difficult, emotionally straining missions. Actually, this was the closest Naruto ever came to feeling like a tool since striking the deal with Danzo-sama. In this state of mind, everything became a clear, precise game of chess. Black and white. Simple.  
However, there was a distinct difference to being broken: Unlike the state that Danzo-sama expected to torture him into, this was only temporary. So he didn't lose his feelings per se, he could be the perfect tool for a time. In this state of mind, he had tried to reason with his greatest enemy, the Kyuubi. Well, let's just say this hadn't gone too well. The fox wasn't open to any sort of negotiation about volunteering any of his power. That meant that if Naruto wanted to use the demon's powers, he had to endure all the emotional stress that came with the package. The hate, the rage and need to destroy and the overwhelming threat of having the Kyuubi take over were all things he had learned to endure. With lots of training together with Kinoe, the wood user, he was able to control up to three tails worth of chakra for about five minutes now. It wasn't optimal, but more than ever before and he was optimistic that with more training he could tackle up to five tails. Besides, he had other skills to make him dangerous, leaning to the Kyuubi for support would hopefully not be necessary all that soon.

Naruto looked at the scroll he had received earlier. It was a two-day-travel from Konoha, where a few former Konoha shinobi had established a new base as missing nins. So they had abandoned the village. No surprise that Danzo-sama wanted them all dead, no exceptions. The law stated that as a civilian you were free to move around the country, but the moment you accepted the headband, you were the property of Konoha. And it made sense, after all, shinobi carried out missions and had information about the inner workings of the city. Even if they never were to outright go against the village, their information was dangerous in the enemy's hands.  
Naruto wasn't stupid though, nor naive. This was a message from Danzo-sama to him. If he didn't comply, this same destiny would befall his former teammate. And Danzo did not make idle threats, he always carried them out. So Naruto knew, he had to succeed at all costs.

* * *

Naruto was standing in the sun, unmoving, his face behind the blank mask relaxed as it hadn't been in over a year. The sun danced behind his eyelids and a soft breeze went through his hair. How he had missed this! He had told himself that he didn't need any sentimental nature crap to be happy, but to feel the air, the sunshine, to hear birds, it was a manifestation of freedom. So long he had gone without it, and now he couldn't help letting the silent tears fall. Yes, the training had improved his skills and he had gone a long way from the obnoxious kid he had been. But to sacrifice this freedom again? Naruto would do anything to not let it come to that again! He would complete the mission without fail and then the outside world would no longer be taken from him.

He enjoyed the travel through the forest, deeply connected to nature and a new kind of bliss sporting every single step. Eventually, after two days of travel, this freedom came to an end as Naruto arrived at the target area. He needed to focus on his orders now. Danzo-sama had let him go alone on this mission. On one hand that spoke for trust - the trust that Naruto would not cross Danzo-sama. The old man knew that he was too dependant on their agreement. On the hand, it also meant that no one would come help him. He needed to battle his demons himself. His skills would be no problem, all his training had seen to that. Speaking in terms of pure strength at Root, Naruto placed top ten at least, maybe higher, but he hadn't fought all the members yet. In Kyuubi mode however, no one could match him on their own. Since there were enough of them though, he was never a really danger to them anyway. Not even the Kyuubi could occupy all of them at once. Especially Kinoe was great at handling the demon, which was great for training and yet upsetting at the same time. Naruto didn't like being bested at all. The ambition he had always felt inside him had grown together with his skills. Some things simply never changed...

Naruto was hiding on one of the trees one hundred meters away from the hideout. If you could even call it that. Yes, they had placed seals around the perimeter. But first of all, they weren't anything to brag about and secondly they didn't even think to conceal their chakra signatures. Not to mention that their hideout was in plain sight, instead of underground. Them being missing-nins, he had definitely expected more foresight from them. Oh well. He sighed, it was time to get to work.  
He settled in a comfortable position and breathed in evenly. It was time to test the boundaries of the cold heart. After the countless times he had practiced getting into this state, it came easily. One last look at the mission scroll to confirm his orders, then he burned it with a small fire jutsu. His secondary affinities were water and earth, but he could still use jutsu for all elements, which was very good in this case. The targets were around a dozen rogue members of the Kawa clan who had settled here a few years prior. Why Danzo wanted them gone now of all times, he didn't know. Not that it mattered. Kill the adults. Take any children below age 10 to Root. 27 felt all the emotions slip from him. It was perfectly easy to follow through with the orders. Now, he truly was ready for his initiation.

Easy as breathing he cut down the first shinobi. The second never even saw him coming before a sharp kunai sliced through his throat. The guards were down, now 27 could deactivate the security seals. Quickly he took out some chakra induced ink and added a few symbols to the seal already existing on the tree before him. He spread out his senses to locate the next seal foundation, ran over and modified the seal again.  
Just as he finished the third and last seal modification, he felt a presence behind him. He whirled around just evading a kunai aimed at his head. He cursed inwardly. He had been sure that all the other shinobi were inside the hideout. Oh well, if one was alarmed by his presence, it might be best to kill them off fast, without caution, rather than quietly. Faster than his opponent could blink, he had aimed pure, raw wind chakra at the man. Pieces of him and the tree behind flew through the air after making contact with his destructive chakra.  
He made his way it into the large, traditional cottage. One shinobi after another fell to his hands. It was so easy to end their lives, 27 was quite astounded.  
Panicked cries carried to his ear. As he made way to their origin, he found a woman hugging a crying child close and a female toddler was hiding behind her, clinging to her back. The girl couldn't have been older than four and cried out as she saw him appear in front of her mother.  
"Please spare us!", the woman sobbed. "We haven't done anything to break the deal!"  
27 didn't have any information on a deal. What he did have were orders to kill her, the children would become part of Root. "You will die. If you come with me, you will spare your children the trauma of seeing you die. It is your decision."  
One second she closed her eyes. He could see how she closed off her heart and came to a decision. Nodding, she got up, hugging the infant close one more time and kissing the top of his head. Then, she turned to the girl. "I love you, Mira, you and your brother are my everything. Never forget this, I will be with you every step of the way. Please take care of your brother." The child accepted the baby reluctantly and cried as her mother followed 27 out of the room. Behind the door, the last sounds the young mother heard were the desperate wails of her daughter and infant boy.

Naruto cut of the head and placed it in yet another storage seal. Thirteen dead. He swallowed and concentrated on his breath. It wasn't time to get out of his trance yet. He still needed to deal with the kids. The young girl froze up when he entered again. Fear was written all over her face and she clutched the now awake baby close. "I will not hurt you."  
"Go away! Please!", she cried. As he drew closer their voices got louder and more desperate. "Be strong for your little brother, Mira." He had remembered the name of the child and hoped it would ease her somewhat. It didn't. So he drew out a syringe for that very purpose, labeled with the correct age group for her and drugged her. He cursed fate that there were no transport seals for the living. Objects, heads, corpses, all those were transportable in a comfortable way. In simple sealing scrolls. But living, breathing beings never stayed alive for long though such transportation. Damn. Even worse, drugging an infant wasn't recommended. That meant the sobbing child wouldn't calm as easily as his sister. So 27 did the only thing he could think of, he henged into the young mother whose very head was secured in his scroll. With the baby in his arms, the other tied to his back, he walked through the compound. He was searching for two things: Food appropriate for children and secret scrolls.

* * *

Back on the way to Konoha, after running for several hours, he allowed himself to slip out of the trance. The first thing Naruto did was throw up. He was convulsing from disgust. That was an after effect on the cold heart state - while the emotions were turned off during the mission, when they came back at once they were quite overwhelming. The awakening was never pleasant, but this time it was almost unbearable. He had made it half the distance back to Konoha. Just then it had dawned on him that he should probably snap out of his trance before he got back to the village. He didn't want to be surrounded by Danzo-sama and Root when he dealt with the consequences. That meant, he now had one day to come to terms with what he had just done. What he would do more of in the future. And here he thought he had experienced self-loathing before…

Killing them all had come so easily to him. Yes, it was for the good of the village. But seriously, it wasn't like they had been a great threat to them. And he doubted that whatever information they had on the village was that detrimental. Maybe it was because of the jutsu scrolls he had retrieved? The Kawas had been an unimportant clan with an affinity for water chakra. Nothing special, other than that they specialised in healing jutsu. Still, modern medical jutsu were even more effective and didn't count on the medic-nin using water chakra, but rather the green healing chakra. So that wasn't the reason either. What then? Did they have shit on Danzo-sama? Did they know something that made them a danger? He doubted it. If that were the case they wouldn't have gotten out the village walls… He was still pondering upon it when the child stirred. Mira. The girl who had just lost her whole family, save her brother. The poor girl was now condemned to a harsh life at Root. His eyes widened! Of course! It had been for the children, not for any scrolls or secrets! Danzo-sama wanted to integrate them into his forces! Did they have some kind of bloodline limit he didn't know about? Then again, while fighting no one from Kawa had used any special techniques…  
He approached the waking girl and tranformed back into himself. As soons as she spotted him, she shook with fear. "Eat something, I promise it is not poisoned." She didn't move and he sighed. He hadn't expected anything less.

A little later, when the girl and baby were both asleep, Naruto leaned back and relaxed a little. The mission was almost over, he was almost back at… his family? Home? Had Root become his home now? After having been a part of the organization he could say that yes, the other shinobi had grown close to him, closer than he had expected them to honestly. He even held a grudging respect for Danzo-sama. After their deal, there had been less tension between them. Moreover, he didn't want to risk splitting his personality by fighting his subconscious response to the man. Since he had been placed in his care anyway, it didn't make much sense to be disobedient and moping all the time. He was happy to train and Danzo-sama liked seeing his progress.  
Now, with the initiation almost done, he was anticipating going on missions to bring Sasuke back. Had Orochimaru trained him well? What was the snake's deal anyway, he wondered. Not one second he believed that that bastard trained Sasuke out of the goodness of his heart. Probably to experiment on the last Uchiha or something… He was infamous for his human experiments after all. After what he had heard of Kinoe, anything was possible and that seriously worried him. Away from Orochimaru and into Danzo-sama's arms - that was what he wanted Sasuke to do. Was it actually a better fate, though? 'Let me be selfish for once, my fate would definitely be better with Sasuke by my side.'  
He looked over at the two children. They would fit right in, in just a few years they would be so emotionally deprived that Danzo-sama's every whim would be their only concern. Growing up to be a tool… Could he live with delivering them? To let them suffer? Maybe it was better to just kill them now instead of taking them back. Then again, Danzo-sama would consider his mission failed and he would not be able to go after Sasuke, or do much of anything. Maybe they'd put him back in isolation? Unconsciously his body started to shake. The torture he went through still bothered him and it was likely he'd never really overcome the trauma. As much as he hated to think of consequences, the baby was more important than his comfort.  
He had thought about hiding the baby somewhere. Such a small child at its most vulnerable state was not fit to go through shinobi training at all and there was a chance that he could grow up in a loving foster family instead. Then what about the older sibling? Right now they had each other to support one another. If he put the baby somewhere else, the older sister might despair and Naruto would be in danger if she told Danzo-sama about him hiding her brother. Why did this have to be so difficult? How come he still had enough morals to care about a stranger's baby? That was seriously hindering him...  
Suddenly, a dark-clad figure dropped from a branch above and landed in front of Naruto, interrupting his thoughts. Naruto's eyes widened and he shifted his weight ever so slightly, now armed. He was ready to counter any attack the unknown ninja might throw at him.

* * *

Itachi was returning from one of his routine reports to the Hokage about Akatsuki's plans when he noticed a camp not too far from him. Usually, he would avoid running into other people while on missions. Who was he deceiving, he generally avoided contact with anyone these days. So he couldn't understand the pull he felt towards that camp and why he actually followed it. A check of signatures told him of two small civilians and an Anbu level shinobi, judging by the skilllfully masked chakra. Interesting... and possibly dangerous. Surely, it'd be better to continue on and ignore them. Itachi was not known for impulsive behavior, but since his talk with the docter over a year ago, he did act a tiny bit more rashly occasionally. He would simply sate his curiosity and be on his way again. Kisame was currently busy at his favorite hotsprings, so time wasn't an issue either. From above, hiding in the trees, he observed the scene below him.

When he saw that the two children were asleep, he decided to show himself. The other was suddenly tense. 'So he didn't notice me before I showed myself. Means his genjutsu skills are lacking.' That was reassuring since the other clearly wasn't a match for him.  
The blond ninja wore a mask, just as he himself. "Who are you?" the other bit out angrily.  
Itachi did the Konoha hand signs for 'friend', which seemed to relieve some of the tension. A Konoha shinobi, as he had assumed...  
"You may call me crow", he offered. "What about you?" Was the other a new Anbu recruit? His mask didn't give anything away. But he did understand the Konoha signs, even though he wasn't wearing his forehead protector. Should the shinobi try to find information on him, to dig for records on a crow, he wouldn't find anything. At least not in the normal Anbu, so Itachi was safe to use that codename.  
"27", he replied without hesitation and immediately seemed to regret that slip up. 'Very interesting, indeed', Itachi thought, intrigued now. He didn't know much about how Danzo ran his Root Anbu, but he had worked with them occasionally back then. Yet, he had never met one who was not emotionally mutilated by all the brainwashing. 'He didn't immediately try to kill me, a witness, that's different from what I know of Root... Interesting... He must be new', Itachi mused.  
He pointed at the children, sleeping near the fire. "What about them?"  
"Mission", the blonde replied curtly.  
Itachi had thought as much and nodded. When the other didn't tell him to leave, he turned to walk away himself. "Wait", he stopped in his tracks. "If you feel like it, you're welcome to set camp here. Fellow Konoha shinobi ought to look out for each other, right?" His voice was warm and surely he was smiling under his mask. Itachi could practically feel it. Foolish.  
Itachi was caught off guard, which in itself was astonishing. And here he thought he had seen it all! That ninja was strange. One of Danzo's and yet not a mindless tool. How very fascinating. He bowed his head and unsealed some food, before he sat back down, a little closer this time. He offered some of his rations to the other, as his father had taught him to be polite was the first step to make someone lower their guard.  
"I'm good, thanks though."  
They sat in silence for some time. Itachi felt that the other was bothered by something. Deducing from the little information he had, he figured the mission must be to bring the children to Danzo. Itachi had always been called a genius, and though he never did like this stamp, his mind was undisputedly sharp.  
For some reason, he didn't want the blond ninja to feel so troubled, he could very well understand the pain that came with difficult missions. He pondered on what to say without offending the other before he stated. "It is a harsh fate."  
The ninja looked up as if surprised by his words. But the look was gone in an instant, replaced by distrust. Itachi didn't like that hardened look in those sky blue eyes. "I have worked for Danzo-sama before", he explained. "So it is quite obvious what awaits them."  
When he said Danzo's name, he expected the blond ninja to go on defense, to see a hard look in his eyes. But Itachi was startled again, when the ninja responded.  
"Should I save the younger one and leave the other to her fate? Is that not cruel? But to condemn them both isn't right either!"  
The aching desperation in the boy's, not yet man, voice saddened Itachi. So the other really did still have some morals left. 'He must be a strong-willed to pull through, to keep part of himself hidden from the old schemer', he decided the blond needed some encouragement. "Perhaps. But sometimes older siblings sacrifice themselves for their younger siblings, rather than sharing the pain."  
He took in Itachi's words for a minute."Speak from experience?"  
For a second, Itachi's heart gave out. Could he know? Or was he just that easy to read? "Does it matter?", he replied coldly.  
"I suppose not."  
They sat in silence again and Itachi breathed in deeply. "I can help", he finally admitted. And he wanted to help. Being shinobi wasn't an easy life. And even less so when one didn't have the chance to decide for themselves if they wanted it. A baby growing up as Danzo's zombie, emotionless, joyless, just didn't sit right with him. Besides, he still did have a grudge against that man. As much as he had carried out the act, it had been on Danzo's order.  
"How so?", the blond asked curiously and a little weary.  
"I can take the girl's memories of her little brother. Then there would be no traces left for Danzo to explore."  
"And the baby truly would be safe."  
"As would you."  
After a second of hesitation, the blond ninja answered. "And how would you go about that?", the suspicion was fully palpable now.  
"I'm a genjutsu specialist." Itachi wasn't sure how to use the Sharingan without alarming the other yet. Itachi Uchiha was an infamous name and his face that of an alleged traitor. Should his identity be revealed, he would have to kill his counterpart. And strangely, he found he didn't want that ending.

* * *

Naruto was more than a little weary. This was his initiation test, so an unknown shinobi suddenly appearing and aiding him in cheating Danzo-sama, that just oozed with suspicion. Still, he might have a chance to help the baby boy. What would Danzo-sama do to him, should he ever find out?  
He decided that whatever punishment Danzo-sama would have him under was better than repenting for not having saved an innocent soul. Saving the child was somewhat like saving his own soul, he felt. After all, this act of kindness showed that he was still himself and defying his fate in the tiny way he could. He just had to do this!  
Naruto went over to the girl and looked questioningly at his unknown savior. Crow really did look like a crow, clad in all black, long black hair soft like feathers. At Root, the shinobi could wear whatever they wanted, as long as they wore the standard red and black jackets on top. Crow didn't wear an Anbu uniform, it was all his own style with some weird fishnet top that seemed vaguely familiar.  
He couldn't help but wonder: Was crow just a helping hand or would he turn on him? He didn't feel any ill intent from him, but his time at Root had definitely made him untrusting by nature.  
"How would you trap her in the genjutsu to delete her memories? Does she need to be awake?" Naruto was curious how this would go about. Genjutsu wasn't his forte at all, but it was interesting to hear about the possibilities of those abilities. The only deeper exposure he had had to the field had been back with Sasuke... No, he didn't want to think about this now.  
"Yes, please wake her up. It's quite easy, I just need to look into her eyes."  
Naruto stiffened for a millisecond, then he was in action. Already his trusted tanto in his hand, he held it at the other's throat the blink of an eye later. He untied the man's mask and cursed inwardly when the face was revealed. Out of all people!  
"Itachi Uchiha", he all but snarled. "I should have known!"

* * *

 **Woohooo -finally they meet! please don't hate me for the comes next? What do you think? Let me know! :D  
**


	8. Enigma

Chapter 7

 _Enigma_

Last time:

 _Naruto was a little weary. This was his initiation test, an unknown shinobi suddenly appearing and aiding him in cheating Danzo-sama, that just oozed with suspicion. Still, he might have a chance to help the baby boy. What would Danzo-sama do to him, should he ever find out?_

 _He decided that whatever punishment Danzo-sama would have him under was better than repenting for not having saved an innocent soul._

 _Naruto went over to the girl and looked questioningly at his unknown savior. Crow really did look like a crow, clad in all black, long black hair soft like feathers. At Root, the shinobi could wear whatever they wanted, as long as they wore the standard red and black jackets on top. Crow didn't wear an Anbu uniform, it was all his own style. He couldn't help but wonder: Was crow just a helping hand or would he turn on him? He didn't feel any ill intent, but his time at Root had definitely made him untrusting by nature._

 _"_ _How would you trap her in the genjutsu to delete her memories? Does she need to be awake?"_

 _"_ _Yes, I need to look into her eyes."_

 _Naruto stiffened for a millisecond, then he was in action. His tanto already in his hand, he held it at the other's throat the blink of an eye later. He untied the man's mask and cursed inwardly when the face was revealed. Out of all people!_

 _"_ _Itachi Uchiha", he all but snarled. "I should have known!"_

"It seems we both concealed our true identities, _Naruto Uzumaki_ ", the man retorted. So it was true! The Uchiha traitor himself had been conversing with him the past half hour. He cursed himself for not realizing this sooner.

"Is this a plot to get the Kyuubi then?", he snapped. First time out of the hideout and already found by Akatsuki, amazing accomplishment truly...

But Itachi made no move to free himself from Naruto's hold. In fact, he remained calm, breathing evenly. Strange. Stranger still the words he uttered. "No, I am not here because of you. In fact I only figured out your identity when you recognised me, Naruto. That little information on the genjutsu should not have given away my identity, unless you already knew me or a Sharingan user closely beforehand. Oh, and your blond hair is a give away, too. You might want to use a henge on that the next time." Itachi's voice sounded different than just before. Colder, more closed off, they almost felt seemed like two different people. His face remained the stony mask the ninja was infamous for. Naruto didn't ponder on it.

Itachi considered him for a moment. "You have changed from the last time I saw you."

"I have. Mainly, taking the Kyuubi should provide quite the challenge for you this time."

The man sighted at that, a bit tiredly. "The Kyuubi is of no concern to me." Naruto raised an eyebrow, he couldn't trust his ears apparently.

"What do you want then?" The tanto at Itachi's throat drew a little blood, not fazing the man in the slightest.

"I thought we had established that I wished to help the young girl and her younger brother." His voice sounded a little softer, was he trying to fool him? Even Naruto wasn't that naive!

"Indeed, with your cursed eyes it would be an easy feat to entice her into a potent genjutsu, isn't that right. How very kind of you Uchiha, to take on such a small challenge despite your skills." This man, this devil, was the reason why Sasuke felt the need to train and carry out his revenge. This man had caused despair and destruction and he had the nerve to tell him he wanted to save this baby boy? For no reward, no gain, but purely from the good of his heart? Ha! Was Naruto supposed to believe that? The younger ninja laughed harshly, all traces from their earlier camaraderie was gone now.

"I promise you, I have no hidden agenda, and this is no trick. I merely delete the girl's memories and then I will be on my way." Itachi looked imploringly at him and Naruto wanted to search the truth of his gaze but he dared not meet the charcoal black irises directly. He was weak against genjutsu, Itachi's very specialty.

"Next thing I know is you tell me to look into your eyes and see your sincerity for myself I bet!"

Itachi's voice seemed amused. "You should never look an Uchiha in the eyes."

Naruto was torn. On one side he was at least certain that Itachi didn't want to sell him out to Danzo. On the other side, he was the vilest creature he could think of, a kinslayer, someone who hadn't even spared innocent children just to prove a point. And Naruto couldn't fathom what point he had wanted to bring across anyhow.

Yet his instincts strangely told him to trust him. There was also the strange mystery of their conversation earlier. He had seemed bitter about Danzo-sama and he had related to the small kid saving her brother. Sacrificing themselves… very, very strange. He would have to get to the bottom of this later. In the meantime: Naruto couldn't let this opportunity go to waste. If it was a ploy, he'd manage somehow.

He hesitated, then put his tanto away again. "You better not try anything", he warned. I'll give you a chance. But the wellbeing of Mira had better not be compromised by any of your actions."

Itachi smiled warmly then. Naruto almost gasped. Itachi looked… stunning. This warm, kind response fit him way better than the cold demeanor he had displayed before. It was then that Naruto wondered how the genius had become a traitor, how he had turned into a cruel kin slayer. Sasuke had once told him a story about a loving older brother who cherished his younger sibling with all he had. An older brother who stood his ground against a strict father. How had his personality twisted 180 degrees? And seemingly now he had turned back again, into a helping hand in a desperate situation... The last year had turned Naruto into a more suspicious person and yet... Naruto felt embarrassed at this realization, but he wanted to trust Itachi and let him help. Let him prove he is not the demon everyone expected. To see there was still good in him.

Which mask was the real one? Did Itachi himself know? Or was he just as lost as Naruto felt?

When they woke the scared girl, Naruto nodded at Itachi. Before she could start screaming and wake her brother in the process, Itachi's eyes were spinning in familiar red. From the side, he watched mesmerized as Itachi's eyes started spinning and twirling and twisting and went further, beyond the familiar three tomoe Sharingan that Sasuke owned. Itachi's eyes were far different. Shapes with triangles and edges appeared in his eyes. Naruto had never seen something so breathtakingly beautiful and dreadful before. A kaleidoscope shone brightly and the girl collapsed in Itachi's arms. Naruto cleared his throat trying to shake out of his stupor. "She will not remember her brother? What about the murder of her clan?"

"I didn't remove everything. Danzo expects a traumatized child and he will get one. But this genjutsu will strengthen over time and dull her pain. And it can be broken by a user of the Sharingan. So should she ever see her brother again, someone could free her."

"Someone? Not you?"

"I didn't think you'd trust me near her again."

There was a short pause. Quietly, Naruto startled the other. "I might", he said and the words surprised Naruto himself. Yet he actually meant them.

"I should go now."

"That might be for the best." Naruto watched as the other dissolved into crows. "Thank you", he whispered before the last bird disappeared. Finally, he released a shuddering breath and sank to his knees.

* * *

Naruto had left the baby at the last village he had traveled through before Konoha. He had spied on a small family and had decided that they seemed loving and caring. He just hoped they would take in the small package left at their doorstep. But it wasn't like he could just talk to them and tell them the truth about the boy. He had noticed then that he didn't even know what the baby's name was. But he wanted to have that knowledge if he ever wanted to reunite the siblings. So he drew up his sealing materials and named the small boy. 'Nozomi' he called him, in hope of a better future, far away from the shinobi life. It had been a bit off his route to the leaf, but that was the least problematic part of this whole plan. The most problematic being a certain Uchiha that hadn't left his mind once.

Naruto was completely and utterly confused. How could one small encounter throw about everything he thought he knew? How could one mission stir up that many feelings in him? He had prided himself on suppressing his emotions, on staying calm and most of all rational. It had been pounded into his head, putting the mission first and not his squad mates. Abandoning morals for finishing a mission. And yet… even though he had trained for this, Itachi Uchiha had changed him. While the obnoxious Naruto would never return, the irrational, overly emotional one certainly had. And if this didn't stop soon, if he couldn't pick up his mask, others would surely notice.

But he couldn't stop the thoughts in his head. What was Itachi really up to? For a rogue ninja and Akatsuki member too, he seemed way too uninterested in the Kyuubi. One could argue that maybe he just didn't prepare to attack. That Naruto had become so strong and skilled that even the Uchiha prodigy couldn't match him. Ha. He wished! Genjutsu had always been his weak point while the Uchiha didn't have one.

And as much as Naruto wanted to accept that explanation because it was easy and wouldn't have his head hurting and because then Sasuke's defection would still be understandable. It was just a ridiculous notion. He wished the situation were an easy one, black and white. Unfortunately, Naruto seldom got what he wished for. Shinobi lived in a world of grey. Itachi Uchiha was a cold-hearted murderer. Then again, so was Naruto now. He had lost his innocence with the Kawa clan and so it was a little hypocritical. But you didn't kill your family and friends. You didn't abandon your home for some evil organization with plans of world domination together with other missing-nin. And still, the kindness in Itachi's eyes, the warm smile, it just didn't add up. He wasn't like he had expected him to be, at all.

So he needed to get to the bottom of this enigma. And he would. He would search every record, he would keep out an ear for the other's movements and figure out what was going on. That, he swore to himself.

But first, he needed to calm down and present himself as a tool. 27 had to be back and report to Danzo-sama about the completed mission. He sat down on his knees and went through the breathing exercises he knew by heart, trying to achieve the very state he had just come out of a few hours prior... Abuse of the cold heart could fuck up one's brain, but hey: it was better than accidentally slipping up and letting Danzo see that there was still defiance in him. The side that was anything more than the perfectly obedient tool. The side, which wasn't broken nor obedient, but that followed his very own path.

* * *

As Itachi tried to sleep that night, he knew this would not be so easily accomplished. His brother's teammate had surprised him yet again. The first time they had met, he had been impressed by the loyalty and affection the blond had shown towards his brother. And to see that his brother returned the feelings in his own hard-bitten way had been even more astonishing. They were so different in character, it made Itachi truly happy to see that his brother had overcome the trauma of the fateful night both their lives changed. That Sasuke had created new bonds and was carrying on. To be true, while he did want Sasuke to be strong, the price for the Mangekyo's power was something that still haunted him and would forever do so. And with good reason. He dared say that whoever sacrificed their most precious bond for power deserved the suffering it brought about.

Itachi had resigned himself to his unpleasant fate. His brother would one day come to finally end his suffering. But somehow on that clearing today, the blond teenager had caught him off guard. Somehow, a tiny piece of the wall around his heart broke and made him... feel. Get to him.

This was the person, apart from Sasuke, who had the most reason to distrust him. He, the infamous Itachi Uchiha hunted Jinchuuriki for Akatsuki. The world knew this. And what did that fool, that loyal leaf shinobi do? Trust Itachi and let down his guard! By all means, working for Danzo, and he still wondered how on earth that had happened, working for that disgusting schemer should only have left an empty shell. While Naruto had changed, he was by no means empty or emotionless. Else he would not have gone to such lengths to rescue one little baby boy he didn't have any ties to. Itachi was glad Naruto had decided to trust him, though. No child should be deprived of a happy life to be turned into a weapon, just to be discarded at the owner's convenience. To have outlived one's usefulness was one of the worst things that could happen to a tool. He spoke from experience here. While he still loved the leaf, he couldn't help the regretful feelings every time he returned for his reports. His life was a walking nightmare and each return reminded him of just how much had been taken from him. Or rather how much he had taken, himself. No use to get upset about it now. Nothing would ever change and soon enough he could lay down to rest. Now he knew that Sasuke was in good hands. Until his plans were complete, he could hold out. Hopefully, Sasuke would come to him, before his sickness killed him for good. Just one more time, Itachi wanted to be useful and die with a meaning.

That evening in the plenum at Root HQ was the first time in a year that Naruto entered the stage. Under better circumstances this time, though. He knelt in front of Danzo-sama.

"You may rise, shinobi, from now on you shall be called Kama."

"Thank you, Danzo-sama."

Naruto accepted the Root mask Danzo-sama help out. He looked at it, trying to figure out what animal it was. Unfortunately, Naruto never did appreciate fine art all that much and so he wasn't good at reading it, either. There were whiskers, but it didn't seem to be a fox. That was a relief. He didn't want his identity to be too obvious, after all.

Danzo-sama noticed his musings and enlightened him. "Your mask is a weasel." Naruto fought the urge to facepalm and stay unmoving. Destiny was really out for him, it seemed. Danzo didn't look at him again and left the shinobi for the night.

Relieved, Naruto released the breath he had been holding this entire time. With Danzo gone, he could finally relax and be himself again. He joined the other Root shinobi off stage and accepted the many quiet congratulations he got from both trainees and experienced shinobi. Somehow in the past year, he had grown fond of a lot of them. And since they, even more so than him, struggled with accepting and showing emotions, it meant a lot.

He had gotten especially close to squad 2, the people that had trained him for the most part. Naginata had helped him tremendously with understanding and controlling his emotional responses. It was thanks to her that he wasn't a broken tool (for the most part), nor have a split personality. With her help, he had learned to accept his subconscious response and work around it, as well as learn the cold heart trance. So when he openly smiled at her, and the other members of Squad 2, seemingly happy and proud that he had indeed accomplished the mission and finished his initiation. It was Sai, the least emotional of the group, who patted his shoulder awkwardly. Odachi, the youngest, nodded once in his direction. For one as indifferent as he that meant a lot. Shuko, ever the party animal exclaimed loudly that they needed sake and then he shoved them all off into their room. Permanent squads lived together, so they were in each other's presence at all times. Surely Danzo-sama also did this for control purposes, but it was a luxury well appreciated. For the time being, Naruto was to stay with squad two and he was grateful for it. They were the closest companions he had here at Root. The only ones where he could be himself without pretending.

When they sat together, the first shot already downed, Naruto let down all the walls he had built up to face Danzo-sama and his excited smile crumpled like bread crust. Odachi immediately activated the privacy seals that the seal master from squad one, Sumi, had provided them with. Naruto silently wept, as his friends just sat there, sharing his sorrow. Naginata drew comforting circles on his back and Odachi took his hand.

"I killed them all. And the children were so young. It was so wrong to take away their parents.", he sobbed.

Sai's stoic mask vanished. Eyes wide, he shook Naruto. "Did you just say that there were _several children_? What did you do with them? If Danzo finds out, you'll be-"

"Let him explain himself, calmly", demanded Shuko, the joking manner all but gone.

Naruto showed his teeth. He hadn't meant to tell anyone. But at least he could trust this team.

He collected his thoughts for a little while before he spoke. "So the mission was to off a camp of missing-nin and to retrieve any scrolls and if children were present, I should take them too." It was silent in the room, they had wondered about his mission the past days. "When I arrived, there were 13 adults and two small children. Killing the adults was easy, almost too easy. I didn't even hesitate." His voice broke a little and he felt the agony all over again. "What kind of monster am I? Don't answer that. So I took the children, one was around four, the other still an infant. I figured if the infant grew up here, without memories of his parents, he would just break and so I found him a foster home instead." They watched as determination overshadowed his sorrow and were unsure what to say or think. He had gone against Danzo-sama on his initiation mission. This could have immense consequences should it ever be found out. And if he was found out, they would be punished for keeping his secret.

"What a mess", Shuko finally muttered.

Sai spoke next, voice filled with fierce defiance. "You did the right thing."

Naruto was surprised and looked, really looked at his friend. There was a glimmer of something in those dark eyes, the emptiness almost completely gone.

Naruto cleared his throat then. "I wondered if they weren't better off growing up together."

Sai laughed, a cluster of bitter and vile sounds. "Trust me, it is better this way." He swallowed as memories overcame him. "When I grew up, there was another boy, he was called Shin." He whispered the name suddenly there was hoarse emotion evident in him. "We were practically brothers, in all but blood. He was the one who helped me survive this hell. He would always encourage me and praised my drawings." A real smile lit up his face. "So with each other's help we rose through the ranks, we were well known as two strong shinobi, a good team. And I was happy to work for Root and to train and give my best. And then the day of the initiation came."

The other four swallowed when he stopped so abruptly. For Sai to break down like this, it was unheard of. If he lacked anything, it was emotions. But now they could see how it had come to this. "Our missions were quite similar: To kill the other." Sai was here, Shin wasn't. The results of the initiation test were clear.

Naruto fought back tears to no avail. It was horrible and so eye-opening. Danzo could be so cruel, he destroyed the people in his care and broke them to his will. This had to stop. It couldn't go on like this. He reached out to take Sai's hand but hesitated. Maybe his friend didn't want physical comfort now. Sai noticed and grasped his hand instead.

Naruto looked at him with determination. "He will pay for this. I promise you that." Already pain from the breaking of the loyalty seal flooded his being, but he would not budge. This wasn't alright, no Danzo would have to start treating his subordinates as humans, not killing machines at his disposal.

"Sorry, I need to go blow off some steam", Naruto excused himself. Poor training dummies, the beating of their lifetime awaited them.

* * *

"Naruto really is something else." Odachi's soft voice startled Shuko, before he smiled and shook his head.

"To still be himself after all this time. He deserves our respect. He is not a mere tool like we are, but is destined for something more." Odachi continued. Sometimes, the young raven-haired shinobi was surprisingly insightful.

"It's more that he just doesn't accept his destiny and goes out to make it himself," Shuko replied.

Naginata agreed wholeheartedly. Ever since she had walked into his mind all those months ago, she had known the same. "He stays true to himself and can't help but infect others with his fever. I feel like I want to support him, despite all the things I was taught, everything I believed in..."

"He is more worthy of your loyalty than Danzo-sama", Sai acknowledged.

"We grew up to support the village from the shadows." Odachi looked at them. "But Naruto doesn't belong here..."

"The shadows appear where the sun is", Naginata smiled and leaned back on her elbows. Naruto was the reason she was able to feel something more again. The others too, she knew, they were thinking for themselves and feeling more than just empty. Root had broken them, but maybe it wasn't too late for hope. Even if she stayed the same, at least she had a purpose now. One, she picked for herself. "To become a tool for the ninja, who refuses to be a weapon for others, I don't mind", she said, not noticing the wistful look on Sai's face.

* * *

 **Next time: His name was Namikaze**

 **What did you think of the first meeting of Itachi and Naruto? How do you feel about squad 2? I didn't want to make the OC part too big but I want to provide a few characters to make Root more realistic. So you will most likely get the back stories to a few Root shinobi in the future. Sai's mask finally broke! I just wanted to hug him while writing.**

 **Also, all the names for Characters at Root are weapons, you can look them up if you want. There are exceptions of course, such as Kinoe (Yamato) whose name I just took from canon. I'm excited for the next chapter, we'll finally see Tsunade and Naruto's first meeting after training at Root!**

 **As always, I'm happy to hear your thoughts, suggestions and critique! Have a nice weekend everyone!**


	9. Uzumaki Namikaze

Chapter 8

 _Uzumaki Namikaze_

6 months ago, Root HQ

Squad 2 was sitting together in quiet peace, masks discarded to the side. After their charge, Naruto had snapped at them the day before about how ridiculous it was to hide their faces after four months of training together, they had decided to forego the masks.  
The outburst had been the reason for actually doing it, but they were all rather glad to stop wearing them outside of missions or summons, and they found it quite freeing. Even Sai liked the openness it brought. That blond ninja was really something else. He had refused to be only a number in their head and had wiggled himself into their hearts, as much as a Root Anbu could tolerate. There was something special about him, they noticed this. He was happy most of the time and didn't lose all feelings even with the psychological pressure that Danzo-sama put him under regularly. He stubbornly remained himself and they did respect that. What's more, he had changed them as well. Though Sai would never admit this, he finally felt somewhat alive again and he could even smile for real occasionally.

Naruto excitedly waved as he joined them on a bench at the side of the training hall.  
"Look! Sumi finally got around to explaining seals to me! They're amazing!"  
Shuko, ever the prankster, shunshined right behind Naruto to take a look at the scrolls in his hands and (mostly) to scare him a little. He was somewhat put down when that didn't get the reaction he had hoped for. The other ninja had finally gotten used to his teleportation skills it seemed. "Idiot, of course, it's amazing. Seriously that you just got that in your head now…"  
"Yeah, well at least I have an awesome teacher now. Sumi is so much nicer than you, Shuko-teme!"  
Shuko didn't answer, the young shinobi just squinted and took in the seals Naruto had brought with him.  
"What do you need those advanced seals for, idiot?"  
"They're my homework. I have to write about the effects and then change one component until the next time."  
"Seriously?"  
At Shuko exclamation Sai got up swiftly and rushed over. Naginata and Odachi in tow. "Let me see!", Sai took a quick look at them. "This is definitely advanced material. And this was your first lesson in sealing?"  
"Wow!", Naginata smiled. "You must really have a talent for sealing then!"  
Naruto blushed a little. "But it's not that advanced yet. We just went over the basics."  
"It's uncanny how dense you can be", Shuko shook his head. "You need to be able to accept praise just as well as critique. With us, you won't get much of the former so you better appreciate it while it lasts."  
"Sure. Um, thanks. I'm surprised myself that sealing comes naturally to me. I never expected it."  
"Well, who knows, maybe it runs in your family. May of us have a bloodline limit."  
"Oh? I didn't realize it", Naruto admitted. "Though. now that you mention it..."  
Sai just nodded. "Most of us here are from some prominent clan, orphans or not." Sai sounded bitter, and the other two kept their eyes locked on the floor. Naginata chimed in. "Danzo saw potential in you, that doesn't necessarily have to do with being the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki only. You don't know your parents, do you?"  
"I haven't the slightest clue…" Naruto didn't want to be upset about that. He tried really hard to hide it, but with Naginata in the group, his emotions were an open scroll. She hugged him. "It's alright. We don't know ours either. I just know I'm originally part of the Yamanaka clan, because of the mind jutsu I specialize in. And I'm not in contact with any of my former clan." Odachi stayed silent like always, feelings perfectly masked as always.  
"We're your family now. Who needs a clan when they get to be part of this top elite squad number two?" Naruto laughed at that. He was lucky she was there to keep him going.  
"Besides, it's not hopeless. I mean we might not know who exactly your parents were, but you're part of the Uzumaki clan. I mean that much is obvious. It also explains that you're good at sealing."  
"Hold on, hold on, Sai! Wait a minute! Did you just say Uzumaki clan?" Naruto couldn't believe his ears.  
"Yes."  
"So I actually have a clan?" Naruto got really quiet, his voice almost whispering.  
The others stayed silent and then Naginata found the courage to answer. She tried to be gentle. "What it means is that there used to be a strong clan of sealing masters from Uzushiogakure. They were allies to Konoha, mainly because members of the clan married to members of our prominent clans. Then, approximately 25 years ago, there was an attack on Uzushiogakure, lead by Iwa and Kumo. They didn't stand a chance and were annihilated." She took his shaking hands and stroked them comfortingly. "You are one of the last Uzumakis alive if not the last one. You could be from Konoha, where some members of the clan managed to flee to. Or you might have been taken from another village and put here."  
"Wait! That doesn't make sense. He is definitely from Konoha. After all the day the Kyuubi attacked was your birthday, right? So your parents must have died that very day. The Yondaime actually sealed the demon in you right after your parents died then..."  
"But how did he get his hands on you so fast? I mean it is uncanny how he got to you, how he would know that you were a fresh orphan…"  
"Wait a minute." It was the first time Odachi spoke and the others paid close attention. "Your main affinity is wind, is it not? Quite rare in Konoha."  
"Also, the Uzumakis were famous for their water jutsu", Shuko added quickly.  
"Yeah that's why the Rasengan is such a cool jutsu and not many can learn it!" Naruto laughed.  
"Well, the Yondaime invented that jutsu, did he not. And he actually had a knack for seals as well. He was the one to seal the Kyuubi in you after all and it takes serious skills to accomplish that..." Odachi let his words trail of. The others nodded. "Not to mention that you practically look like a carbon copy of him."  
Naruto's eyes widened, his mouth opened ever so slightly. He stood perfectly still, which was a stark contrast to the chaos of thoughts swirling in his head.  
"I think we broke him", Shuko coughed nervously.  
Sai just sighed. "It's not like that changes anything. But perhaps you get some closure from it."  
After a small eternity, Naruto's jaw tightened and his fists clenched. "No, you are right. This changes absolutely nothing. I just lost any respect I had for the Yondaime, the greatest Hokage to ever live." He spat the words out like bitter medicine. "To condemn his own child to such a fate. Hokages are seriously fucked up. I wonder if you need to be heartless to get the job or if it comes with the hat."  
"Now, now Naruto. Let's not forget the most awesome part of being a Jinchuuriki." Shuko started.  
"And what is that?", Naruto was still angry, he tried so hard to contain the thoughts, to calm down as he'd trained to, but it was hard. Very much so.  
"Well, we get to beat you up repeatedly and the next day you're as good as new. I'd call that a great benefit." Shuko winked at him and smirked. And with that, the tension broke and Naruto found himself laughing and crying at the same time. His team members, used to his strong emotional reactions, just stayed by his side. They would be there for him. After a short while, Naruto had calmed down significantly. "I will go meditate", he announced. The revelation changed nothing but his emotions didn't get that yet. He needed to be able to think clearly before he stumbled upon Danzo-sama, so he had no time to waste. "I'll see you later" and promptly, he was gone.

* * *

Naruto shook his head, trying to calm his thoughts. The revelation still hurt, even now, half a year later.  
Even now, it stung to think about how he had never been told about his parents. He wondered why neither Jiji, nor Tsunade, nor Jiraya had ever told him about it. He could understand that the village wasn't supposed to know. For safety reasons probably, so that Iwa didn't target him while he had been a weak Genin. Still, he wondered if his life would have been different if his birth name had been known as Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. It did have a nice ring to it. What would the villagers think now - the one to be 'responsible' for the Yondaime's death was actually his legacy! The irony wasn't lost on him and he smiled wryly. It would have been nice to know him, being beloved by all of Konoha and all that crap. Sacrificing himself and his future, condemning his child to loneliness… What a shitty decision!  
How come Hokages seemed to always decide things for the greater good? Why not be selfish for once and protecting your own life and destiny? In the end, what everyone seemed to forget, his father as well as Danzo-sama, was that the shinobi were also part of the village they wanted to protect. In fact, he bet that most Shinobi kept the company of fellow shinobi rather than civilians. So why were they placed on a pedestal while ninja were used as tools, until they finally broke? That was just messed up…  
Naruto shook his head. He had to get into the right mindset now, as Danzo was expecting him in his office in a few minutes. 'Channel Kama', he told himself again and again, relaxing and calming down. It felt weird to adapt yet another name, graduating from '27' to a real tool and weapon for Danzo, a kama.

By now he knew the base's layout by heart and his feet carried him to the office automatically. When he was let into the door, he bowed deeply. "Danzo-sama."  
"Kama", the man smiled benignly. "After having completed your mission and looking through your report, I think congratulations are in order. You handled everything very well. You will be pleased to know that the surviving girl has found a place in our midst. She has your old spot as 27 in fact. I hope she will follow in your footsteps." The information felt like a punch into his gut and in this moment he was glad for the weasel mask on his face. Danzo-sama wouldn't know the truth if he could help it.  
The one-eyed man continued. "With your training completed it is time for you to take your first visit to the Hokage, before she comes down her to look for you, wouldn't you agree?"  
Naruto's eyes widened. "I am part of Root now. I report to Danzo-sama", he immediately assured.  
"Yet I know of your secret S class mission assigned by the Hokage. Really, Tsunade-chan was always such a clever child. Unfortunately for her, you are indeed part of Root know. Nevertheless, you will need to report to her, for appearance's sake."  
"Yes, Danzo-sama."  
"Take this scroll, it already contains the report you are to give her. We give her a little information and she won't dig deeper. So long as you play your part perfectly." There was a slight edge to his voice and Naruto swallowed. He knew the scroll would contain a bunch of bs, but he couldn't refuse to deliver it.  
"Not that you could give away any information in any case, but your acting skills will need to be superb. You need to adapt your old Naruto persona for this report, Kama."  
So Danzo-sama really did think he was his mere tool. That was a relief. "Of course, Danzo-sama."  
"Dismissed. I expect a report of your meeting later this evening."  
Naruto bowed and headed out. This was the perfect opportunity to scheme something with Tsunade. And he couldn't believe it was given to him by the old - "ouch" - man himself. Then he frowned. He shouldn't be hasty now. Surely Danzo-sama wouldn't be this relaxed about him meeting with the Hokage if he had any reason to doubt his ensured obedience. He was the most paranoid person Naruto knew of.  
At least Naruto'd get to see Konoha again. At his initiation, he hadn't had the time to stroll through the streets at all. Even though no one was to know he was in the village, with his henge skills he could still go undetected and just enjoy his time as an exception to his normal days.

* * *

For once, Naruto did not enter the Hokage office through the window, but through the usual channels. As Danzo's Anbu he was in no position to just jump the office, that might be seen as an attack on the Hokage herself. So, he had to wait in line, talk to the secretary and show his request for a meeting, before he was let in. That took some time of course because first of all Tsunade didn't want Danzo-sama to think he had the upper hand and thus made his representatives wait. Secondly, all he had given was his alias, since no one was to know his identity besides Tsunade. So, he had to pass some time in the waiting hall. He stared out of the window and admired the sight. Konoha really was breathtaking on this beautiful late summer day. Later, he would have to enjoy the sun a bit more and take in the bustling day to day life.

Finally, it was his turn and he readied himself for the meeting. He wasn't sure how he would react when he saw her: For all that she had abandoned him to Danzo's ploy, she had also given him the opportunity to become a better shinobi, to battle the Kyuubi and to help other children, other shinobi that were suffering.

As he stood before the Hokage, head bowed respectfully and mission scroll clasped to the side, he had his answer. She didn't really spare him a glance, she just sighed. Naruto thought she looked overworked. Funny, how he had never noticed such details before.  
As she took the scroll from his hands, he couldn't help the soft words rolling out of his mouth.  
"Tsunade-baa-chan."  
At once, her head snapped up, taking him in full this time. "Leave us", she told her Anbu guard. That was a huge sign of trust on her part and he repaid it as he took off his Root mask. Immediately, she crossed the desk and hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay, Naruto!"  
"It's good to see you again."  
"My, how you've grown. And you've masked your chakra expertly, as well!"  
"Yeah well, I trained hard." His smile might have come out a little pained, but Tsunade didn't seem to notice.  
His appearance seemed to break a dam and her words came as a torrent. "When I never heard from you after three months, I talked to Danzo. I demanded he'd show me to you, to notice your progress and check your well being. But he convinced me that you were training your emotional response and a distraction wasn't welcome. However, I did have him send me a report every month after that. It's nothing compared to seeing you again, though!"  
"I'm happy Danzo-sama allowed me to come personally, too."  
She raised an eyebrow at the honorific and he cursed himself for his slip up. Instead, she motioned him over to the couch at the side of the room and sit down next to her. She offered him a glass of sake, which he gladly accepted. "So, tell me about your training."  
He rubbed his neck, he felt a little uncomfortable, after all, he hadn't decided yet, what to tell her. "I learned a lot, really I never would have thought it possible, but I mean I did hold myself in pretty high regards before... Though it was quite hard at times, especially in the beginning, I never lost my goals. I learned everything I could in ninjutsu, taijutsu, I even know some sealing now. Genjutsu is still my nemesis, though."  
Tsunade nodded happily as she heard this. "Quite the list." She hesitated a bit. "How did it go with the Kyuubi? After all, the last time we spoke you were still quite upset..."  
He laughed a bit harshly before he noticed her shocked expression and toned it down. Yes, that topic still hurt. "Understatement of the century. I was absolutely devastated. Well, the Kyuubi and I don't get along all that well. However, I've learned emotional control with a Ya-" suddenly his voice was cut off and he felt like he was choking. Acting fast, he pretended it to be caused by a coughing fit. Tsunade frowned and handed him a glass of water. So the loyalty seal really did work. Too bad. He needed to work out a way later to inform Tsunade that Danzo was stealing clan children… "So, I learned meditation and all that and finally confronted the fox. Can't say it was the most pleasant conversation of my life, but better than no conversation for that matter. In the beginning at Root, I" - another coughing fit happened. Oops, almost slipped. Talking Tsunade really unhinged his usually calculating and more cautious self. He didn't actually know that much about the first female Hokage if he thought about it. That was dangerous, especially if he continued to trust her this easily.  
"Must be a cold." He smiled it off.  
"Do you want me to take a look? I am a medic, after all."  
He smiled, "The best medic-nin in all of Konoha. But nah, thanks though. It's time for me to head back to base. It was good seeing you."  
Again, she hugged him. "I'm proud of you, Naruto. And always know, you can come to me for anything at all."  
He bit his lip. She had given him to Danzo. She had been quiet about his heritage. She cared for him. Should he ask her about him? His curiosity would be the death of him.  
"Actually, I've been wondering…How has Akatsuki been doing? Is there any news? Any members sighted close to Konoha recently?"  
She shook her head. "They seem to want to take care of the other Bijuu first. The Kyuubi will be the last to be targeted."  
"Really, why would they do that? Wouldn't it be easiest to take the strongest Bijuu first?"  
"Well, they don't know you're in Konoha at the moment, but think that Jiraiya has you apprenticed."  
"I've been wondering about this. In the case that Jiraiya is compromised as spy, wouldn't that also compromise my location?"  
She thought about that. "Jiraiya will be fine." She said eventually and with such confidence that he couldn't help but smile.  
"I hope you are right. I don't want to think about another outcome, either. But I think I should warn you, I overheard at Root that Itachi Uchiha was sighted not far from our village borders."  
Suddenly Tsunade tensed and looked caught. The next moment the expression was gone, but Naruto had noticed her slip up. He wasn't that easy to trick anymore.  
"Really? How strange... ", she seemed at a loss for what to say and he decided to leave the topic for another time.  
"It's not like I couldn't handle him now, you know. So, no worries", he winked and laughed. No reason to alarm her too much. But maybe he could something else out of her. "I told you that I've started on sealing, but actually it's a bit more than that. My teacher said I'm really talented and it somehow came really naturally to me." Tsunade nodded happily, of course unsurprised. "Well, I was wondering if there are any scrolls or books on sealing from the Uzumaki clan left somewhere. I doubt I'll find any records at the shinobi library.  
Tsunade seemed even more surprised at this but he stood unmoving. Most likely she calculating, how to satisfy his curiosity best and not to give away any vital information on his heritage. It could be read as a question about his parents he smirked inwardly. 'She has no idea what I know and I'm going to enjoy this little banter.'  
"I will look into the archives", she finally affirmed.  
"It is my birthright, after all.", he put a hand on his hip.  
"Naruto…" So she decided against telling him. Again. Too bad...  
"I'll take my leave then. Excuse me, Hokage-sama", Naruto bowed respectfully and strapped the mask back on. He was a little bit disappointed at her hesitancy to answer him, but not as upset as he let on. That was more of a ploy to get her to give him the good scrolls and he was excited to read some original Uzumaki seals, soon. He was no stranger to manipulations, but now it was time he gained some experience from the other side of the coin. Two could play the game and he no longer was the little Genin that Tsunade remembered.

Before he had to head back to Root, he took his sweet time, wandering about the village and enjoying the sun. He used one of his favorite disguises, a grown-up Naruko with long red hair. She was wearing a blue summer dress, a huge white sunhat obscured her face further. The whisker marks were hidden, too and so no one should be able to identify her. Naruko didn't know when the next mission would let him outside of HQ, so she couldn't help his feet carrying him to the Ichiraku Ramen Restaurant. Really coming loose in her role, she waved at everyone she came across, skipping and dancing all the while. Inside the booth, she sat down in a strategically smart place. She could see the entrance and through the window, while her back was to the wall. When Ayame approached her to take her order, she grinned.  
"Two Miso-Ramen, please." Posing as a girl, it was better to start slow with the orders.  
"Coming right up, Miss!"  
Blissfully lost to the world, he suddenly sobered up at the voices carrying to her ear. Two shinobi he missed dearly were close by. Kakashi and Sakura sat a good few tables away, but with the Kyuubi's senses, the conversation was easy to follow.  
"Congratulations on winning the Chuunin exams, Sakura, you did a great job!"  
"Thanks, Sensei", she smiled content. "It was so much easier than the first time, I could really feel the difference in my skills."  
Naruto snickered silently. 'And to think that I expected to be done with Root by now. To be fair though, Tsunade lied to me, when she briefed me.'  
"You really worked hard, I'm glad you take your apprenticeship so seriously."  
"I can't let them outrun me so easily. What do you think Naruto is doing right now?"  
'Sitting here, listening in on your conversation.' Naruto shook his head. 'To think that you guys are shinobi as well! Talking in the open when anyone can listen in.'  
"You know him, I'm sure he's enjoying his time with Jiraiya and celebrating life."  
'Are you sure you know me, Kakashi-sensei? Maybe I misunderstood the definition of celebrating...' Naruto noticed bemused.  
"GOODNESS, NO! What if he turns into a pervert like Jiraiya? Or you for that matter?"  
'I kind of have a lot of other things on my mind right now, thanks for the vote of confidence though, Sakura…'  
His Sensei laughed good-naturedly. "As long as he's happy… I mean why should he not enjoy opportunities that come along his way?", Kakashi was smirking in a suggestive manner and Naruto was thinking that he didn't ever want to know what was going on in that screwed head of the copy-nin. They said that all Anbu snapped at some point and Kakashi operating in his teenage years must have fucked up his hormones for life or something.  
"I'm sure he is. Traveling, seeing the world… I'm a little bit jealous that he gets to experience all that."  
'Be careful what you wish for, dear Sakura.'  
"You are heading down your own path, but I'm sure our roads will all join back together soon enough."  
"Are there any news about Sasuke?"  
Kakashi sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Nothing new really. He's still alive and that's about all we know."  
"I see…"  
Naruto finished up his last slurp of broth and took out some coins. 'It was nice seeing them again, even though so much has changed, you still haven't forgotten me. Thank you. I just hope that you will still recognize me, the next time we meet.'

* * *

Kakashi all but jumped and ran out the door. 'Kushina!' The red-haired woman had seemed familiar, but Kakashi hadn't paid her much attention. When he had noticed her listening in on his conversation just now, his interest had been spiked.  
They were sitting a bit far to be overheard from the distance, but the way her body reacted to what was said - it was quite hard to miss. And then, before he could react, she was gone. A ghost from the past, a woman he thought he'd never see again. Ramen, striking scarlet hair, moving with the grace of an experienced shinobi - she really did resemble Kushina. When he stormed to the door, the woman had already disappeared in the stream of villagers. He shook his head. To think that the past still haunted him like this… Obito, Minato, Kushina, Rin. Instead of clinging to the past and his sadness he should focus on the future. On the students, he had failed and neglected. Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke needed him. It was his fault that team 7 had failed, because of his incompetence as a teacher all three students had moved on. He really should focus on training and get his skills sharpened again. Since his time in Anbu was long over, his instincts were dulled, his reactions had slowed. That wouldn't do, not when they were up against monsters like Orochimaru. Kakashi would soon be needed in the field, and he knew the perfect person to contact for some training. Tenzou and he hadn't gone drinking in quite some time…

* * *

 **Next: Orochimaru's base raid  
**


	10. A Traitor among Us

Chapter 9

 _A Traitor among us_

"I don't trust Kama to handle this situation obediently. I want you to watch him and see if his loyalty to Root has been compromised. Test him, if you are unsure."  
"Yes, Danzo-sama."  
Danzo's eyes met that of the dark figure, a silent threat in the air. "I hope you also keep in mind where your loyalties lie. Despite the rumors going around, I am neither blind nor deaf and I do not take kindly to renegades. Should you fail to report to satisfaction, your clansmen will be the ones to suffer. You'd better remember this."  
"I will not fail you, Danzo-sama", the voice was shaking ever so slightly and Danzo knew he had gotten the message across.

* * *

Naruto was thrilled. At last, it was happening! He got to search one of Orochimaru's bases. The chance that Sasuke was there was abysmal, but not completely gone. Besides, he had to start somewhere. Moreover, he was accompanied by the two squads with the highest success rate in all of Root, so their cards weren't bad at all. Kinoe was their team leader, one of the most experienced shinobi in the organization and one that Naruto genuinely liked. Besides, his Mokuton jutsu was nothing to ignore.  
The underground hideout was difficult to find. In stark contrast to his initiation mission, this base was actually well hidden and they spent a day searching for traps. When Sai finally stumbled upon some containment seals in the assumed perimeter of the hideout, it was already dark out. Reconnaissance was twice as cumbersome at night, but it was better to act fast and strong than to risk giving themselves away. The element of surprise was on their side this way. Or so they hoped; they were lucky to have a real seal master in their group, or the wouldn't have gotten through them without losses. Efficiently, Sumi was able to gain them entrance through the wards in just over under an hour.

The base was empty. The tracker from squad one, Gunsen, had confirmed that there was no chakra signature present. However, he could also feel that there was a lot of chakra residue on the walls. Which could mean that either it had recently been visited or there were seals active - and the use of those was anyone's guess.  
"With the possibilities of unknown seal work, you need to be extra careful of traps. See what information you can find and meet at point 2 in 0060 minutes. Dismissed."  
He nodded at Naruto. "You're with me, Naruto."  
Together they headed to the north of the hideout. It was an endless maze of rooms and corridors without purpose, that just ended in the middle. Diversion techniques. The hideout was pretty well thought out, Naruto grudgingly admitted.  
After yet another room, they walked into one that was a fully equipped laboratory. There were a few broken vials left, and most containers were empty. Naruto clicked his tongue. This was disappointing.  
"Seems like they expected visitors, they didn't leave anything of importance here."  
"We should check in with the others if they found something."  
"Yes, Taicho-sama."  
"Kinoe is fine, Naruto." He stared at him. Outside of squad two, people refused to call him by his given name. But Kinoe really was a kind soul. He smiled back.  
"Sounds good to me."

* * *

Sai and Sumi headed east. So far they had only found a few empty scrolls and nothing noteworthy. Still, Sai couldn't shake the feeling of dread building in his stomach. The chakra residue was getting stronger, so much that he was starting to feel it, too. Something was happening here and he had no control over it.  
A swishing sound alarmed him and he could only just evade the flurry of Shuriken swarming him. Getting ready to counter strike, he noticed it was just a trap rather than an enemy shinobi.  
"Woah!", Sumi breathed out, amazed. He pointed at the wall. "Such elaborate seals! A masterpiece truly!"  
Before Sai could stop him, Sumi's hand was already stretched out to examine the patterns. 'Damn seal fetishists! They can't keep from touching!', Sai cursed. To believe he was one of the best shinobi at Root and yet was about to make a horrible beginner's mistake.  
Sai threw himself against the red-haired ninja, just as a bright blue light emanated from the walls. Sumi collapsed, out cold, but at least he was breathing. A movement next to him and he threw himself down, as the wall the seals had been ingrained in, crumbled. It must have been a genjutsu infused seal, he awed. Then it hit him. The smell was awful! Something was rotting behind the hole.  
Frankly, it took all of him to stop from vomiting right on the spot. It was a wonder his nose didn't start to bleed from this abuse. Of course, he didn't let his discomfort show. The mission took precedence over any discomfort. One last look at the unconscious Sumi by the entrance and he headed through the hole in the wall.  
Inside was a huge corridor that lead to more rooms. This base hadn't been as abandoned as the first impression led to believe. He didn't want to leave the other shinobi there, but he needed to be stealthy for whatever awaited him in the shadows.  
He chose one of the three steel doors to examine first and to his luck, it shrieked loudly when he stepped in. Despite his emotionless nature, he almost shrieked himself. Body parts lay cut up all over the laboratory, eyes conserved in glasses, animal cadavers next to human corpses, sometimes even combined.  
Human experimentation.  
Of course, Sai knew what the snake Sannin had dedicated his life to. But to see it for real was another thing. He stepped glanced at the corpse closest to him, which was spread out on an examination table. A young child with way too many muscles and splotches of fur all over its body. A chimera, he gauged. Examining the room further, he uncovered scrolls filled with detailed information.  
'Bingo! Primary objective found.'  
Swiftly, he stored the scrolls in his bag and exited the laboratory. Out in the corridor, he decided to look at the other rooms before heading back to meeting point 2.  
As soon as he entered the next room, dread filled his whole being. Unfortunately, he couldn't pinpoint it until it was too late. Another chakra signature made itself known! Even Sai's lightning fast reflexes couldn't dodge the needle that was roughly struck in his neck.

* * *

The group was meeting in a timely manner, as was standard for Root. Nothing short of mortal peril would keep one of their shinobi from arriving on time. Still, Sai wasn't late, just the last to arrive  
with an unconscious Sumi in his arm.  
"He is not hurt, just unconscious." He assured the others. "There was a seal in the walls that made him pass out."  
Kinoe nodded. "Good, we're all present. Report your findings."  
Sai stepped forward and unrolled one of the scrolls he had brought. "After the seal was activated, I did come across some records of experimentations. I gathered up all the evidence and information I could find." He showed the scroll to Shuko, who was standing next to him. Odachi narrowed his eyes but said nothing.  
"Chimera experimentation! Damn!", Shuko cursed.  
Kinoe nodded. "This is the information we were sent to retrieve. Good job, Sai."  
"Damn that snake creature!" Naruto yelled. "To disregard human life like this, how sick can someone be?"  
"Well if Orochimaru didn't do this, someone else would conduct the research surely." Sai retorted.  
Kinoe nodded. "Orochimaru and Danzo actually used to work together, before Orochimaru left Konoha. "A lot of experiments were used for advancing our modern medical jutsu. Let's destroy this base before we can head home and deliver the scrolls to Danzo-sama."  
"Wait a second", Naruto narrowed his eyes. "What will Danzo do with this?"  
"It is not our place to know", Odachi promptly replied, voice lowering a little forcefully.  
"Danzo will just continue what the snake bastard started, won't he?"  
Kinoe's hands clenched ever so slightly, but he remained quiet at Naruto's outburst.  
"And you aren't bothered by it? What will Danzo do to innocent children with this information? To create crossbreed humans and animals?"  
Kinoe looked pained for a second before he closed his eyes.  
"You guys can't be serious!", Naruto yelled.  
"There is nothing we can do about it!", the wood user replied angrily. It was the first time the others heard him raise his voice. "We have specific orders!"  
"So? Where's the problem? We just burn it, destroy all evidence and return to base." Naruto crossed his arms. "Danzo will never find out."  
The others were too stunned for a moment, before they noticed the pain that Naruto was in, his loyalty seal kicking in.  
"That is treason! Damn it, you can't be serious to go against him like this!", Tessen from Team 1 exclaimed. "The pain will get stronger the harder you think about deceiving Danzo-sama! Give it up already."  
Shuko chuckled lightly. "Wouldn't be the first time Naruto went against orders."  
Sai seemed surprised but shrugged it off. "It's likely that Danzo will continue whatever research he is conducting by himself, whether he gets the documents or not."  
"Doesn't mean we should support it!"  
"Naruto, it is dangerous to go against Danzo-sama's wishes. This could impact all of us." Odachi stared at him, trying to figure out what Naruto would do now.  
Naruto took a deep breath and then looked at all of them, one by one. "Most of you grew up around Danzo. You know what he does to ensure loyalty and to bend one to his will. We may be tools, but we have feelings, too. I will not let him play his game of chess when lives are on the line. For the defense of Konoha I'm prepared to make sacrifices, to be a tool. But I am also human and I condone this injustice! Even though Danzo manipulated all of you, threatened you, you can still think for yourselves. Do you think this is right? Do you think that humans should be experimented on?"  
Kinoe bowed slightly. "Growing up, I always wondered what would have happened, had someone stood up for me the same as you do right now." Naruto had a vague idea what he meant by that but didn't pursue it. Another voice demanded his attention.  
"Are you prepared to face the consequences, Naruto?" Odachi asked quietly. "To have our destinies and possibly our blood on your hands?"  
"I will take full responsibility, should this ever get out."  
Odachi sighed and turned around. "Fine by me."  
Nobody else made a move, neither to support nor stop him from executing his plan.  
Naruto readied himself and formed the hand seals for a small fire jutsu. The assembled shinobi watched as their mission lit up in flames.  
Their team leader rose to speak. "Time to raze this hideout to the ground. Split into teams and don't leave any evidence. That is more important now than ever." At his words, everyone left hastily.

"Come Naruto, I'll need your help to get rid of the research I found." The blond shinobi nodded and left together with Sai.  
The older teen navigated with ease through the maze of corridors, Naruto duly following him. The whole situation in the base disgusted him and he felt his emotional control crumble away. So he tried to ease the atmosphere with some small talk.  
"I really need to up my navigation skills", Naruto offered.  
"Sure."  
"Moody much?" The other teen stayed quiet and Naruto sulked. Sai was pissier today than normal.  
When Sai finally led him to an entrance of heavy doors of stone, the tension was palpable. Quickly, Sai went through a series of hand seals and smaller a palm into the seal work on the door. It opened up and revealed another big hall. Naruto whistled jokingly. "I never knew you had a way with seals, Sai. We should sit down and exchange knowledge sometime."  
Sai smiled in his special creepy way and nodded at Naruto to enter first, which the younger ninja complied with easily. Sai put the torch on the wall as the doors closed by themselves.

"So", Naruto smirked at him. "What an honor to finally meet you again, Orochimaru."  
The other ninja's eyes went wide. "You're more perceptive than you let on, Jinchuuriki. Tell me, what did alarm you of my presence? I thought I had impersonated that emotionless tool quite well."  
"That's where you're wrong. Sai hides his emotions well, but they are always there." He smiled wryly. "Besides, your chakra signature reeks."  
"You are wrong as well, Uzumaki. Orochimaru-sama is still back home, awaiting my return. Don't look so disappointed, I will take you to him, soon enough." With a pop, the henge was gone and Kabuto stood before Naruto.

"You!", he hissed.  
"Me, indeed. Will you come of your own will, Uzumaki, or do I have to use force?"

 **That's it! Sorry for having a short chapter this time, but** university **is really kicking in with work at the moment. . Tell me what you think though! Naruto just can't keep out of trouble... Next time: Did Naruto learn how to kick ass and is it enough to defeat Kabuto? Who is the traitor that Danzo pulled over to his side?  
**


	11. Losing yourself

**Sorry for being late! I was in a rush and so there might be more mistakes in this than usual. I hope you'll enjoy it anyway. As a compensation, this is my longest chapter yet: 4700words! + A little explanation about my RL at the end of the chapter! Enjoy!  
**

Chapter 10

 _Losing yourself_

Last time:

 _"So", Naruto smirked at him. "What an honor to finally meet you again, Orochimaru."_  
 _The other ninja's eyes went wide. "You're more perceptive than you let on, Jinchuuriki. Tell me, what did alarm you of my presence? I thought I had impersonated that emotionless tool quite well."_  
 _"That's where you're wrong. Sai hides his emotions well, but they are always there." He smiled wryly. "Besides, your chakra signature reeks."_  
 _"You are wrong as well, Uzumaki. Orochimaru-sama is still back home, awaiting my return. Don't look so disappointed, I will take you to him, soon enough." With a pop, the henge was gone and Kabuto stood before Naruto. "You!", he hissed._  
 _"Me, indeed. Will you come of your own will, Uzumaki, or do I have to use force?"_

Kabuto couldn't believe his luck. When Orochimaru had sent him to secure the base and its research from evaders, he hadn't expected to stumble upon Konoha's Jinchuuriki! And then the clueless boy insisted on burning the research instead of stealing it, too! What an idiot, but a welcome one of course. Now he had a chance to prove to Orochimaru just how useful he was and why he was continuously entrusted with missions for his Master.  
One tail was already sprouting from the blonde's hateful gaze. Quickly, Kabuto jumped back to get some distance between them.  
Their spies had informed Orochimaru of the hospital incident a little over a year ago, where the Jinchuuriki had wreaked havoc and lost control over the Kyuubi. He wasn't able to control his emotions, thus the disaster. If he could get the shinobi to lose control, he could probably shorten this fight.  
'He still doesn't have perfect control over the chakra. So I just have to rile him up a bit.' He'd just stretch the truth a bit to anger him!  
"I bet Sasuke will be happy to see you again when you return with me to HQ. I bet he'll even let you join him and Orochimaru in bed. Nothing better than an alternation to keep things exciting, right?"  
A growl emitted from the feral shinobi. Five clones appeared by his side, forming three simultaneous Rasengans. It was easy to avoid them, and Kabuto already had a taunt on his tongue, when another clone attacked with a kunai from below. His fast instincts let him answer in kind and he promptly used a fire jutsu back.  
The Uzumaki grinned wickedly before sending a hugely overpowered water dragon jutsu his way. Letting earthen pillars sprout from all over the floor, he created some ground to stand on.  
'Perfectly predictable', Kabuto was amused. Overpowering that water jutsu, unbeknown to Naruto, had helped Kabuto tremendously. Now he didn't need to waste chakra to conjure water for his next attack. "Water release: swirling prison!"  
The Kyuubi was trapped in a water bubble, to which he quickly added lightning-based chakra. After a few seconds of electrocution, he would be unconscious and ready to be gift-wrapped for Orochimaru-sama.  
Only then, the water exploded into steam all around him and promptly burned his skin upon contact. He hissed and jumped back.  
"So you did learn something", the older ninja smiled. "I was worried you hadn't improved since the Chunin exams. After all that progress that Sasuke made, I had high hopes…"  
"You want a power-up?" The Jinchuuriki's eyes glinted and tilted into a red-orange color as yet another two tails grew. "I will defeat you and then you will tell me everything you know about Sasuke's whereabouts and the snake-bastard's plans with him!"  
"You can try. But... do you think Sasuke would return to a monster like you? After all, you were the main reason he ran away..." Kabuto laughed as he charged again, this time throwing shuriken to distract the blonde for the fracture of a moment. He meant the words purely as a distraction, but couldn't help but wonder if they didn't actually have a truth to them. Sasuke surely wouldn't return to this delusional fool. He could, however, reunite them and deliver Naruto to Orochimaru. Really, his opponent should be grateful to get his wish granted. Inwardly he laughed. Now he just had to defeat him fast before the other Root shinobi showed up. It was well known that the Jinchuuriki had one big weakness: Genjutsu. If he could throw him off even a bit, this battle would be over instantly.

* * *

In hindsight, the riling-up-part had been a terrible idea of him. Kabuto would freely admit this. 'Maybe I did underestimate his skills and the power of the Kyuubi a little too much... but this won't happen again. At least I have valuable information to report. To think that Sasuke Uchiha still holds such power over his emotions… Orochimaru will be interested to hear this.' Now he only needed to get the hell out of this base and never ever attack a feral Jinchuuriki all by himself. But how to escape? Looking around he noticed just how much chaos the other left behind. All around him lay rubble and the remains of the door lay shattered before him. He noted to never ever make a Jinchuuriki angry again and leaped up to dodge another barrage of attacks. At least his wounds healed fast, so he never stayed incapacitated too long. Suddenly, he felt yet another chakra signature approach and fast at that. Maybe that would create an opening? Immediately he reassumed his special henge as Sai. The new arrival could be useful as distraction and ally. With the healing properties of his chakra, he had also experimented with a way to make the henge undetectable. No one besides very strong sensors or someone with the Sharingan was able to see through it, so he could definitely use it against some unsuspecting 'squad members'.  
A black haired, small figure entered the room.  
"Help, quickly. Naruto's lost it!" he shouted at the newcomer.  
The young ninja approached, mask missing just like his own that had been lost in the battle. He narrowed his eyes and dodged quickly as the small ninja threw a barrage of shuriken at him. With a replacement technique, he barely got out of harm's way. Or so he thought. Blood spilled from his gut, where the other's kunai twisted. "You're not Sai", the voice stated it as simple fact and the kunai twisted again.  
"Where is he?" Kabuto coughed up blood before he replied.  
"I think there is another more pressing matter to attend to."  
He created a water shield for him just in time to protect him against another ferocious wind jutsu. Obviously, the Jinchuriki hadn't forgotten him. Quickly, he mixed earth chakra to the water created several mud clones. The others didn't seem fazed, though.  
"Come out and play, Ka-bu-to!" A harsh kick to his side and he smashed into the wall painfully and then fell face down into the mud.  
"Turn back now Naruto", the black haired ninja ordered as he, too, had to dodge an attack.  
For a reply he got a furious growl, then a huge chakra blast followed and smashed into both him and Kabuto, even though they were quite a few meters apart.  
"Damn it, snap out of it!"  
Naruto was already gone, quite obviously so, seeing as he was sprouting four tails now. He couldn't tell apart friend and foe, which would work to Kabuto's favor. He himself was weakened now and needed some time to recuperate before he could escape. The other ninja didn't know of his regenerating skills and wouldn't count on him being able to escape. Amidst the chaos, he could extract himself nicely.

Right then three new shinobi stormed into the hall. Kinoe, the wood user, then a girl and to his surprise, the real Sai. It took them a tiny moment to assess the situation before they hurried to help the youngest ninja.  
"Odachi! What has happened?", the girl shouted, as their leader already spread wooden shackles to contain the Kyuubi.  
"He has totally lost it. One of Orochimaru's henchmen riled him up and he doesn't recognize me anymore!"  
"Shit and Sumi is still out cold!", Sai was angry. "I don't know any chakra containment seals!"  
Kinoe's wood tightened around the angry Jinchuuriki who blasted the shackles away, filling the air with splinters. A wave of wind chakra was thrown their way, forcing the team to split up.  
"If you can contain him for a minute I can try to project my mind into his", the girl shouted over the noise of blazing chakra. It was a stupid plan; after all the beast was already fully undone with eight tails pounding anything on their way into the ground.  
Sai ran up to meet the Kyuubi's claws with his sword, trying to distract it, while the others formed a plan. Their Taijutsu exchange was harsh and fast, not stopping a beat.  
Then Odachi joined in, blurring and sweeping, using every opening to a cruel perfection. They managed to hit the fox boy. But that didn't matter. In seconds, any damage inflicted was healed. Finally, their taicho gave the signal and they jumped back from the raging demon who was tightly being wrapped into layer upon layer of wood. The girl was shielded by the remaining two as she stood perfectly still, deeply concentrating. Seconds ticked off and the debris settled. All of a sudden, an agonizing scream from the girl warned them before huge red chakra balls tore through the wood like a knife through butter.  
The beast moved. In the blink of an eye, it was in front of the unconscious girl, claw striking out. Just as it was about to impact, a black blur appeared to shield her.  
The youngest shinobi stood, an angry chakra claw deeply embedded in his abdomen, holding the beast's arm tightly. His breathing was ragged, but the grip didn't let go. Suddenly, Odachi's eyes started spinning, turning red while at it. He met the almost fully transformed Kyuubi's eyes and everything stilled for a moment. No one dared to move.  
A minute later, the tails disappeared one by one and both ninjas fell to the ground, unconscious.  
With a last look back, Kabuto transformed the ground around him into a tunnel and slipped away, right as angry shouts got to his ear. He laughed, despite the pain it caused in his lungs. They could try all they wanted to chase him. But he alone knew the secret escape routes built into this base inside out. They would _never_ catch up!

* * *

When Odachi awoke, he was instantly aware of all things around him. His squad members sat around a makeshift camp. He was lying a little bit to the side of where Kinoe-taichou and Naruto were arguing rather heatedly.  
"I was going to take the full blame anyway!"  
"You don't know how you're signing up for, Naruto. See reason! Kabuto is the perfect cover story for the lost research."  
"Oh yeah? And how will you explain Danzo that NINE of his elite could not take on ONE measly Orochimaru follower? He will punish all of you and that won't help anyone."  
The leader took that in and opened his mouth, but shut it again as Naruto spoke.  
"Look, I can just say that when I saw the experiments, I flipped. And in my rage, you tried to contain me and we broke the base."  
"You don't even plan on mentioning Kabuto. Why? You simply met and fought him, before any of us could help you."  
Naruto shook his head tiredly. "If Danzo finds out that it's because of Kabuto, then he might never assign me to missions for Orochimaru again. And I need to go on these missions! They are the whole reason I agreed to this deal to work for Danzo."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I need to get Sasuke Uchiha back to the village. And for that Danzo would leave the missions surrounding Orochimaru to me. If he thinks that I can't take on any of his underlings, he won't endanger his precious Kyuubi by letting me fight more of them. But I need to go on those missions!"  
"I see."  
"You're doing this for the Uchiha?", Odachi tried to sit up, but the wound in his belly hurt too bad, so he stopped.  
"Sasuke will be happy to hear that he has family left", Naruto grinned as he plopped down next to him. "So, you awakened the Sharingan? Congratulations!" He nudged his shoulder. "And thank you for bringing me back. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been there… I owe you!"  
"We owe you, too!", Naginata shouted from the other side of the campfire. Shuko laughed good-naturedly. "To think that there was an almighty Uchiha in our midst, no wonder we're the most awesome squad!"  
"About that, if you keep this amongst yourselves, I consider your debt repaid." Shuko raised an eyebrow. "What? You don't want to boast at camp? Get into Danzo's good graces?"  
"I'd rather keep my eyes", Odachi snarled and regretted it instantly. "I just don't want Danzo-sama to find out right away. Do we have a deal or not?"  
"Of course", Naruto said instantly. "And just so you know, I don't consider the debt repaid. If there is anything you ever need me for, I will be there."  
"You really need to work on your emotional control Naruto", Sai chided. "Had you not exploded like that Kabuto would be dead and we'd have a legit excuse for this mishap."  
"I know, I am sorry."  
"Good. Then let's rest. There is still some time before the sun rises." Kinoe chimed in and everyone was happy to comply. Naruto prayed to whatever deity would hear him that Danzo wouldn't find out. He was somewhat safe from backlash from Danzo, but the others did not have the Hokage's support, nor the Kyuubi in them to heal critical wounds. He hoped with all of his being that he had not just condemned his friends, his comrades to Danzo's wrath. Especially Odachi was in a vulnerable position right now. Understandably, he didn't want to become a focus of interest for Danzo. But what did he mean with keeping his eyes? Just what was he implying? Yet another puzzle to add to the Uchiha category...  
After laying awake for way too long, he sat up. Sleep wouldn't come to him, tonight. It was rather pointless to lay around. With a nod to Shugo, who was keeping watch first, he turned and left for a walk in the forest. He needed to space, to breathe, to contemplate, to vent frustration and get rid of his ever-present guilt. And he needed it fast.

* * *

After a tiring day of espionage at Akatsuki, Itachi found himself in a questionable company in the woods back in the fire country. He didn't know where his partner Kisame had run off to and he was glad for it. How would he explain the casual chatting with the Jinchuuriki? It was rather odd, how the blond had just suddenly turned up at his fire, with narrowed eyes but weapons stashed away. He seemed deeply troubled though. For a second Itachi had considered a dream or a genjutsu, but that was even more unlikely than really meeting Naruto this night. So he dismissed the thought and paid more attention to his guest.  
Despite himself, Itachi shuffled a little closer and looked at the other.  
"I hadn't thought we'd meet again", 'at all', he thought but said, "this soon."  
Naruto laughed shallowly, "if I didn't know better, I'd say I got myself a stalker, Itachi."  
Itachi didn't dignify that with a comment.  
"How is the little baby you rescued?"  
"The child we rescued should be safe, but I haven't checked up on him." Itachi hadn't expected the credit but he appreciated it nonetheless.  
Naruto's face was quite bitter, eyes haunted. What could that be about? "You look worse than the last time," he said pointedly, though just managing to conceal the concern in his voice.  
"Well, my day has been an emotional Tsunami so meeting you isn't the worst thing that could happen. Actually, it's a welcome distraction."  
Itachi just hummed. Root missions were never easy, he knew. What was strange was that Itachi actually wanted to consolidate Naruto, to help him overcome whatever had caused his distress.  
'Yet again he is sitting here next to his enemy and not attacking me or even being openly distrusting. But then again, I don't understand myself, how could I possibly understand someone like him?'  
"What, you are not going to ask me about it?" That snapped Itachi out of it. He needed to pay better attention. What was going on with his mind, why was he not his usual smart, calculating self? Situations like this could get him killed in the field.  
"Do you want to talk about it?" His face a careful mask, not betraying his curiosity and concern.  
"Depends..."  
"On what?"  
"Itachi, I want you to answer me truthfully. I need to know before I tell you."  
Itachi wanted to snarl, to decline, he'd never spill his secrets, but then his black eyes met the brilliant blue of Naruto. So trusting, almost pleading, and daring a Sharingan user to defy him. He swallowed, the first sign of discomfort he slipped.  
"Ask then."  
"Itachi, do you still care about your brother?"  
Itachi blinked. That had not been the question he expected. He though Naruto was about to question him about the Uchiha massacre, but apparently, he was more obsessed with his little brother than some evil truth. Lucky.  
"Yes." One word and it made all the difference it seemed. Naruto visibly relaxed but just a moment later he tensed up even more.  
"I have been wondering about this... I am sure you know that Orochimaru has taken Sasuke."  
"As an apprentice, yes." Itachi knew that already. Of course, he knew.  
"Then you know that Orochimaru wants to use him as a vessel, right?"  
"Since he can't have my body, he latched onto the next best thing, I am aware. My foolish little brother followed Orochimaru to become stronger, which is something I cannot condemn."  
"What?", Naruto seemed outraged and stood up. "You little brother is in his slimy snaky grasp and you do nothing? Do you even know what kind of danger he is in?"  
"It is good training for him. People will always be onto him for being the last Uchiha and carrying the Sharingan." Naruto's eyes widened in shock and Itachi realized what he had just said. Another slip. Nobody knew about his certain death in the near future and that should damn well remain this way.  
Naruto spoke up, interrupting his thoughts. "In another year Orochimaru will take over Sasuke's body unless someone does something about this. You get that, don't you?"  
Itachi was glad that Naruto couldn't make sense of his slip up.  
"Well, a lot can happen in a year."  
'Sasuke can defeat me and gain my eyes to defeat Orochimaru. They will definitely be a power boost.' He inwardly smiled, for he really was good t deceiving people. It was his greatest skill.  
"Nothing will happen unless we do something about it." Naruto leaned down toward him, an intense look scrutinizing his features.  
"My brother should be capable of handling the situation by himself. I have different obligations."  
Naruto grew very still and his eyes were clouded. After a painfully quiet minute that felt like a small eternity, he bit down hard and resolve was blazing in his eyes.  
"Do you have any idea, what Sasuke must be suffering through? Is there not any compassion left in you?" Quickly, before Itachi could counter, Naruto spoke again. "The reason I went along with Danzo's training and became enslaved to Root was so that I could help Sasuke. It's for him that I'm going through all this shit, struggling with my morals, struggling to remain myself and not crippled out of my emotions. I don't want to become emotionless."  
"It's easier", Itachi murmured quietly and averted his eyes.  
"Bullshit. You don't believe that yourself, you bastard. It's your fault that Sasuke has become like this! Look at me damn it!"  
Itachi wanted to argue, to yell at him that he did what was best at the time. But the secret had been kept inside for too long. He wouldn  
't lose control of it now. So, instead, he agreed.  
"Yes, it is my fault. Yet Sasuke is still his own person. He could have found power in another way."  
"Not with a fucking cursed seal on him that prevents him from seeing reason!"  
"He needs to learn how to control his emotions", he said intently, "and so do you."  
Naruto realized that he had begun flaring chakra and stared at the ground, embarrassed. Itachi thought the argument would be over now and that the blond ninja was sufficiently distracted now. Again, he had underestimated Naruto.  
"I don't believe you."  
Itachi sucked in a sharp breath, which Naruto delightedly noticed. "Having your brother as my teammate taught me a thing or two about how you Uchihas hide your emotions. And you even admitted it yourself that you care about him. So why are you so reluctant to rescue him from a situation that might well kill him?"  
Itachi laughed. "He won't die."  
Naruto angrily threw up his arms in the air. "What the hell is wrong with you?"  
He looked into the distance and took a deep breath. "You asked me a question and I answered truthfully. Will you grant me the same?"  
Naruto raised an eyebrow, waiting.  
"Why are you so concerned with Sasuke? He abandoned you, he fought and hurt you. Why are you doing so much for his sake?"  
The blond ninja above him hesitated and sighed. His words came out quietly and Itachi thought that maybe he misheard. This couldn't be true. "I love him. Or at least before he went away... He doesn't feel the same way about me though, he told me. You know it's probably better too, if he wants to restore the Uchiha clan." Blue eyes looked up at him, sadly and shining with a kind of devotion that assured him of the genuity of this claim. Crazy and ridiculous and yet Itachi couldn't help the tiny jealous sting in his heart. He was stunned, absolutely baffled. So Sasuke had willingly hurt his best friend even deeper and the betrayal just turned even worse. How could he have turned his sweet innocent brother into such a hateful creature? Not returning feelings was one thing, but to go out of his way to trample all over them was another level entirely.  
Apparently, his thoughts had taken him too far away and Naruto scoffed. "What? No big brother speech for me?"  
"It seems like you don't need one."  
Naruto winced. Ouch. That comment was harsher than he had wanted to make it. "I see why you are so determined to get him back now. And maybe he'll change his mind eventually. He is young still." Itachi gave him a small smile and it was Naruto's turn to be baffled. Konoha's most insane missing-nin was comforting him. How crazy could this day get?  
"He doesn't need to. I understand. If he can't love me back, I'll accept it. But Konoha is still his home and many people care about him there. Not to mention how people want to use him for their own goals as if his well-being didn't matter. Well, it matters to me! And I will help him, even if he doesn't see the reality of his situation yet. Even if he won't be grateful or will even resent me for that."  
Itachi couldn't help but admire him for his determination and his ideals. Still, in a world like theirs, this kind of attitude was dangerous. Not to say idiotic and impossible."You are too altruistic."  
"What do you mean by that?"  
"It's dangerous to put someone else's interest above your own or even that of an organization. They'll walk all over you if they get the chance."  
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Are you speaking from experience?"  
"Who knows?" Man, he had said too much, yet again. Would he never learn? Did he want the blond to learn the truth about the massacre? Absolutely not. Never. That was the one accomplishment of his worthless life. He wouldn't just lose this because of an irrational desire to let him in, to let him know the trust.  
Naruto sighed and turned to the distance. Dawn was upon them. "I stayed away too long. I need to get back to camp."  
Itachi nodded, trying to contain his troubled mind.  
"I will help Sasuke, Itachi. And maybe, when the time comes, you'll find it in yourself to help right what you wronged." Then, he smiled at him, a small smile, but genuine and it stirred something in Itachi's abdomen. "It was nice... talking to you."  
Itachi nodded, even though he was confused. Why must Naruto be such an enigma? When the other ninja had left, Itachi sighed. How weird, to meet here like this, to contemplate the past and present, to talk without much hostility. And to think that Naruto loved his little brother. And how foolish of himself to find so much importance in insignificant information like this. Soon he'd be gone anyway. Yet... he wondered if Naruto would care about his death. If they'd grown up together, would Naruto have tried to bring him back, too? Would he be determined to help Itachi? And another point that this encounter had brought up: Sasuke had always been his centre of concern. Yet all of Itachi's actions contradicted that, with every step he was hurting his little brother more. All under the pretense of making him stronger, of keeping himself. Who was he kidding? He accomplished the opposite of what he wanted. When had he gone astray? When had his methods destroyed his carefully laid plans? He had lost himself and his hopes and dreams along the way. Of course, there was no way back now. Still, he longed for a way to make it up to him, to atone for what he had done. And the strange feeling in his gut was pointing at Naruto as a start...  
Itachi didn't know why these doubts about the past and future came now of all times, nor what they meant. But one thing was for sure: They were fucking annoying.

* * *

 **Soooo...the Uchiha aren't extinct! Honestly, if I were Danzo, I would have spared all the young children during the massacre and taken them under my wing... I mean why waste the potential?  
**

 **I have an unfortunate announcement: Until now I managed to post once a week, usually on time, and that's because I had most scenes prewritten during Christmas break. Now I've run out and coincidentally my university exams are coming up. To make it short: I'm sorry I won't be able to post until the end of March, but life is just too busy at the moment. But that also means another thing: I have the basic plot down, but if you have any ideas as to how you'd like this fanfiction to progress, please feel free to share them. I might just add them ;) One thing that's certain though, Itachi will have more coverage and more Itanaru scenes too!**  
 **See you late March!**  
 **PS. I love reviews they motivate me - 'hint, hint'**


	12. Caged bird

**I'm back! Good to see you guys again and to move the plot along! :D I'm very pleased with my work for university, but of course waiting for the results is the worst ;D Let's solve this with some good old escapism yes!?**

Chapter 11

 _Caged bird_

"So you expect me to believe that when you already had the mission files, Kama went into Kyuubi mode to level the base to the ground and the scrolls got lost accidentally?"  
Squads one and two, as well as Naruto, were kneeling in Danzo's office. Kinoe had just debriefed the mission, everyone tried to hide their tenseness.  
"It is my fault. I wasn't able to control the rage of the Kyuubi, Sir." Naruto sounded bitter, Odachi was sure that this bitterness wasn't part of the act.  
"And why is that? I saw your training myself."  
They were in deep trouble. Danzo didn't believe them. And really, this story did scream 'there's something we're hiding!' into anyone with brains.  
"When I saw what Orochimaru was researching, I lost control of my emotions, Danzo-sama. I couldn't help but worry what Sasuke Uchiha might be going through. I'm ashamed I lost control, but the failure is all my fault."  
Danzo pondered at this. "How many tails?"  
Kinoe answered "six", at the same time Naruto said "seven." Damn.  
Naruto looked up alarmed, but Kinoe wasn't fazed. "The seventh was only beginning to form, it didn't manifest for real, Danzo-sama. I doubt we would have been able to subdue him were that the case."

This really wasn't working. Odachi was worried after all Danzo-sama had already had his suspicions of Naruto before the mission and thus Odachi had been tasked as the observer and spy. He didn't want to report Naruto because the blond ninja had only ever been kind to him. He was always there if Odachi needed someone to talk to. And even though he had never confided in his past, Naruto understood him. 'Maybe it is because he is friends with the other Uchiha that he can read me this well.'  
"I really do wonder how you managed to subdue him. In the report, you stated that Sumi was unconscious and the rest of your team didn't have sufficient sealing knowledge to tame the beast."  
Danzo-sama didn't say he doubted Kinoe's abilities to overpower his chakra with wood. He didn't say that they got away with bruises while Odachi had a deep gut wound. He didn't say that Naginata's mind jutsu was useless when Naruto didn't have his chakra bound. He didn't say, yet Odachi knew that they were walking on really thin ice here.  
Those people were his comrades, ever since had Naruto arrived in their lives, they had slowly become a family. On the other side, Odachi already had a family, by blood. Danzo-sama hadn't allowed him to see the others in over a year, but Odachi still cared greatly for his younger brother and little cousins. As long as he was obedient, they were out of harm's way. For now.  
He would give anything to keep his family safe. So what should he do? If Danzo-sama knew about his cursed eyes, he'd probably steal them, once he had no use for Odachi. Then again, if he could keep up his act as mindless tool, then Odachi had nothing to fear. Could he manage? Memories of his older sister and her suffering filled his being and hate followed soon. His kind, strong sister, reduced to a mindless breeding machine for Danzo. How he had found her, wrists slit, laying in her own pool of blood. How they had buried her without her eyes. Odachi gulped down his hate and anger and sadness and looked up at Danzo.  
"I managed to subdue him, Danzo-sama. I awakened the Sharingan." For family, he would do anything.  
"What great news, Odachi", Danzo beamed. "This will be a great asset to our forces."  
"Thank you, Danzo-sama."  
'I probably just signed off my future. If he won't steal my eyes, he'll at least use me for breeding new Uchiha babies as soon as possible. I must stay relevant for him, or this is my end.' Odachi swallowed and tried to look proud and happy. He must have succeeded somewhat because Danzo let him go.  
"Now, leave me alone with Kama. There are issues that need to be discussed."

* * *

Naruto swallowed down his thought, his bubbling emotions at what Odachi had just done to save his ass. He cleared his mind of all troubling thoughts that could possibly betray him to Danzo. He was Kama, an obedient tool. A sharp weapon at Danzo-sama's disposal.  
"I am disappointed in your failure, Kama, or perhaps I should call you Naruto."  
Shit. "No Danzo-sama. I swore off that name months ago."  
The old war veteran didn't seem impressed by his statement. "That's what I thought, too. But do you want to know what I think now? Now I think I have been too lenient with you. I thought your spirit would benefit Root and so I let you keep part of yourself. Did I make a mistake?"  
"Danzo-sama is never wrong. I could not presume to-"  
"Enough with that crap, Kama. We both know you don't mean it." Naruto tried to look scandalized but probably ended up looking like a scared bunny.  
Yet again he swallowed the bitter bile down. "Danzo-sama, it is true that my emotions made me lose my focus this time. There is no excuse. But this base was almost deserted anyway, not like this research would have really benefitted Root -"  
He stopped at seeing Danzo's face distorted by rage. That was the wrong thing to say. Just in time he caught himself and continued. "But despite losing myself in the chakra, I feel like I made some progress on that front."  
"I am not concerned with the fox at the moment."  
"Oh? But I-"  
"What are the pillars that hold Root, Kama?"  
A beat.

" _Obedience. Control. Sacrifice. Loyalty."_

"And where does your _loyalty_ lie, Kama?"  
"With Root."Danzo laughed, it sounded bitter and warped. "I don't understand how you can dare lie to me without feeling immeasurable pain through your loyalty seal right now. And I don't think that is the case. So you must somehow really believe yourself to be loyal to our cause at least. And let me tell you this is the only reason I will not have you stand trial for treason this very moment Kama. Your failure is unacceptable and you will make up for it on the coming missions."  
"Yes, Danzo-sama."  
"Another fact that stands for your loyalty is that you returned to base despite your failure and stand trial it. Let me congratulate you on this choice because otherwise I could have had you executed the next time you stepped a foot in Konoha. Are we clear?"  
"Of course, Danzo-sama."  
Danzo was actually right. Had he not been blinded by Kabuto's taunting, following into Orochimaru's hideout might have been a faster way to get Sasuke back.  
"I will have Sumi check your seal as fast as possible. Now I believe congratulations are in order?"

He stiffened and looked up at Danzo's eyes. What could he mean?  
"For your 15th birthday, the Hokage personally gave me this gift for you." He held out several scrolls. Naruto didn't dare inspect them further in front of Danzo.  
"How kind of her", his face remained stoic.  
"Indeed." Naruto wondered if Danzo would pick up the sarcasm he felt at the statement. It was not that he resented Tsunade, she was too dear to him for that. But all this time she had kept his heritage from him. It seemed like all the people around him did was tell lies. Deception was the main trade of shinobis after all. It still… hurt.  
"Thank you, sir."  
Promptly he got up and made to leave, but the other called him once more. "I think we shall make an appointment for another pain endurance session, seeing as the year is up already, Kama."  
He looked terribly satisfied at that and Naruto fought with every cell in his body to not cringe away. How he hated this power display, this danger that Danzo posed. He couldn't escape and Danzo knew it, too. Naruto was stuck in the lion's den and no one would rescue him. So he had to save himself, and Squad 2 if possible...  
"As you wish, Danzo-sama."

* * *

Naruto had thought himself excited, thrilled even, at the display in front of him: Half a dozen of original Uzumaki scrolls lay opened on a huge table in an almost empty storage room. But seeing Sumi, their indisputable sealing master gushing at the scrolls like a toddler at Christmas was truly a one-of-a-kind experience. Sure, Sumi was kind and smiled relatively often compared to Root standard, but his grin now was ridiculous. His red hair flew up and down as he jumped up and down the room.  
"Wow Kama that is absolutely brilliant! I haven't seen originals for years!"

Had Naruto not been exasperated by the name-calling, he probably would have inquired about when Sumi had seen scrolls before, but this really held more importance to him. "I told you like a thousand times to call me Naruto when we're in private. I finally got you guys to abandon your mask here and now it's just the two of us and you start with this Kama-crap. Really Sumi!"  
Sumi calmed down and smiled gently if a little melancholic.

"I understand, but with Danzo-sama's current suspicion, you are really pushing your luck, Naruto. You never know who might overhear…" He gestured vaguely at the walls. "For now it's best to assume that someone is always listening… Come on, let's get these seals figured out."  
It was crazy. The seals were beautiful, intricate designs and Naruto hadn't the faintest idea what they meant. There were symbols he had never seen before, and variations of what he used himself.  
His partner seemed to understand his frown as he promptly made to explain them in order, pointing out their general readings and functions. They worked all afternoon and Naruto felt very much refreshed. Focussing on just the task in front of him lifted his spirits as usual and he was also excited to learn so many new symbols and meanings.  
Until he suddenly stilled. The new scroll that Sumi held one big symbol in the middle and Naruto's heart stopped for just a second. This one needed no explaining. Naruto's world crashed down on him. What did this vile thing have to do with his family heritage? How could this wrongness, this mark of slavery be the main topic of one of the Uzumaki scrolls?

 _The caged bird seal_

How dare he be proud of his family for being the cause of suffering? Why would they abuse their talents like this and create a seal so horribly wrong? Then another thought appeared in his head - just how had the Hyuugas come into possession of this very seal? If it was an Uzumaki invention, a clan from Uzushio, then how come they used it for their very much Konoha rooted clan? Did they steal it? Commission it? Co-invent it?  
At his silence, Sumi stilled as well. "So you recognize it, don't you?"  
He remained silent and Sumi sighed.  
"I hadn't thought you remembered it", he ran a hand through his red hair. "After all you could have only seen it for a split second when it was applied to you and even then it-"

" _WHAT? That thing is ON ME_?" Naruto was raging, now, questions overturning in his head, thinking how, what, when? He didn't understand.

Sumi looked slightly panicked and swiftly drew up a seal on a blank piece of sealing paper, activating a strong privacy seal for their conversation.  
"Naruto? Hey, listen to me! We can talk about this, yes? No need for any Kyuubi raging, ok?"  
Naruto breathed deeply, regaining his senses bit by bit.

"What do you mean, it's on me? This is the _caged bird seal_!", he gritted out through clenched teeth.  
Sumi drew another seal below the silencing one. "No, this is the caged bird seal. So that's why you recognized it… You see, the loyalty seal that Danzo uses is kind of a bastard version of it. Similar, but their not quite the same. Here-", he pointed at the Uzumaki seal. "This is the origin of both seals. I don't know how the Hyuugas or Danzo-sama got their hands on it, but they modified it greatly. While the Hyuugas make sure that the branch family's power is suppressed and the main family can inflict pain and even death upon them, Danzo-sama wants to protect his secrets and manipulate the bearer. Like when you think about betraying him, pain will spread through your body."

"So does that mean that Danzo can't kill us by activating the seal? And he doesn't control our power? Why would he not want that?"  
"Well, he wants Root to be as strong as possible. But really, both seals are pretty differently structured, so you can't compare the functions of both of them all that well. The actual Uzumaki design is just the anchor with which you bind a person to another."  
At this, he drew a little x down on the scroll. "If I remember correctly, the Uzumaki invented this a century back for their _marriage_ contracts."  
Naruto was baffled. "...Come again?"

"Well, like I said, the loyalty seal and caged bird seal are bastard versions. In a traditional Uzumaki marriage, both partners would seal the other to themselves to ensure the fidelity of their spouses." At the other's uncomprehending frown, he chuckled. "Uzumakis were a very passionate people, in anything they did really and especially with their private lives. So in order to contain it somewhat, they invented this handy little seal. Moreover, for warriors, it was common to bind themselves to their liege lord. They prided themselves in carrying such a loyalty seal, which was actually called the fidelity rune."  
"It's horrible how those ideas were twisted into the tools they are now."  
"So you see, sealing isn't evil. It's really the purpose that it is used in that counts."  
Both were quiet for a few moments, digesting the words.

"But", Naruto started suddenly. "What if they got a divorce?"  
"Well, you know how it was in the warring-clans-era, the life expectancy wasn't exactly high…"  
"Yeah, but still, did they never get a divorce?"  
"Oh no, of course sometimes the domestic fights became too violent and then a couple had to be separated."  
Naruto gulped, "yeah passionate personalities, right?"  
That earned him a smirk. "Exactly."  
"So if they got a divorce, then the seal would have to be removed."  
"...Yes. But I don't know where you are going with this, Naruto. And I'm not sure I want to find out."  
"If we can remove the fidelity seal, then Danzo's loyalty seal should not be a problem."  
Sumi sighed and suddenly he seemed tired and worn down. "Every seal can be removed, Naruto. And as a seal master, of course, I have considered removing-" He yelped and suddenly he moaned. Clutching his chest, his breathing became haggard.  
"God, Sumi! What's happening?"  
"Seal", he rasped out. "It's... no…. use, … _hurts_."  
"Okay, okay, just focus on me." Naruto panicked at the state his comrade was in. Damn, he had to do something! Distract him, until the seal stopped acting up. "Okay, don't think about the seal, just listen to me for a second. Remember the Hokage monument? Back when I was a kid, I thought the Hokages looked way too boring, right all gray and looking grim. So one beautiful morning, while I was stuck in the academy and not listening to my teacher, I decided to do something about it." As he continued his tale, Sumi's breathing thankfully calmed and the pain seemed to disappear.

Naruto took a deep breath. "I get it, it's too dangerous." Naruto understood; because he did, but that just proved how much he needed to do something about the situation.  
"I don't understand", the redhead seemed confused, "how can you stand it? This pain, doesn't it affect you at all?"  
Naruto considered it a moment. He thought about unraveling the seal's anchor point and freeing Neiji.  
No pain. His loyalty seal was probably broken like Danzo had already suspected.  
He continued his train of thought. Freeing Sai, Naginata, Odachi, and Shuko. Sumi and the rest of squad 1. The little girl he had saved with Itachi. No pain either. He thought about talking to Tsunade and getting Danzo imprisoned for life.  
A harsh pain wrecked his nerves. All of a sudden, his blood was boiling. His intestines were on fire. Shit. It was working just fine.

After a few minutes, but what felt like an eternity to him, the pain subsided, leaving only a quiet hum of pain in his chest.

"Let me look at it."  
Naruto complied and tugged down the turtleneck he was wearing today. With a little chakra impulse, the seal appeared in all his glory. Sumi examined it closely for a little longer than necessary and then shrugged his shoulders: "It's strange, everything seems to be in order. Yet you don't always feel pain when others would definitely feel it. I have no idea why.  
Another possibility is that you feel the pain, but the response is triggered at a later time instead of instantly. This could be due to a number of reasons, maybe your high metabolism and almost instant healing thanks to the Kyuubi. I'm not sure. I would monitor it and maybe we'll find out eventually."

He didn't say to keep it to himself and he didn't have to. Danzo wouldn't find out from Sumi, Naruto was sure of it. And as long as he could examine the Uzumaki scrolls without unbearable pain he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

* * *

Orochimaru was already awaiting Kabuto upon his return to their hidden head quarters. They had let the information of an outdated base leak out to Konoha on purpose, in hope of trapping a few shinobi and pull whatever information they could on Konoha's current objectives from their minds.  
It was not like he didn't have a few spies stationed in Konoha's walls, but the information they had delivered him recently had been too scarce for his liking. He wanted to know, how high he ranked on Konoha's priority list in terms of capturing him or scavenging his secrets. Really, he had greatly anticipated for a scout team to show up at their abandoned base. If he was lucky, maybe Kabuto would even manage to capture a shinobi with a rare bloodline limit, such as a Hyuuga, on which he was currently running low. Unfortunately, his Hyuuga had died half a year ago on his examination table and he still had not been able to unveil any secrets of the Byakugan.

Orochimaru knew he was _gambling_ and in no way was it risk free to send someone so existential like Kabuto out, but really he didn't expect any complications.  
And he had been right again: Kabuto arrived already mostly healed and excitedly told him what he had learned. It seemed his trusted follower could hardly contain his glee as he laid the information before his master.

"So the Jinchuriki is still in Konoha and not in fact on a little training trip with my former teammate… Interesting indeed. I never thought Tsunade had it in her to be honest, but I'm proud of her for such a bold move." He chuckled, greatly amused by this new insight."Then again, I suppose it might have been due to her not being able to oppose the elders… Yes, she was always weak in the face of opposition…"  
"This is not all, master." Orochimaru snapped out of his musings and motioned for him to continue. Hearing the slight quiver in Kabuto's voice had grabbed his attention.

"It seems that Danzo was able to somehow get his hands on at least one more Uchiha. I'm not sure how he got him, whether he's a bastard or descended from an estranged family member but there was no mistaking."  
That was indeed striking. "Are you certain?"  
"Yes, I saw the Sharingan myself, Orochimaru-sama."  
"It could be an implant. Danzo had enough eyes to harvest after our lovely Itachi took care of his family that night… Wouldn't surprise me if he implanted Sharingan eyes on his shinobi."  
"No, he must have been a real Uchiha by blood, as he actively activated the eyes in my presence."  
Orochimaru nodded and considered the new information. While he had Sasuke for a new body ligned up, it was certainly nice to hear that there was at least one more Uchiha for the future. Itachi was too strong as he had unfortunately already witnessed… But if he had more body candidates that would definitely erase some of his worries. And if there was one Uchiha child in Danzo's tender care, he didn't doubt for one second that there were more. Knowing the old schemer, he was already carrying out a solid breeding plan to keep the powerful bloodline alive. After all, Orochimaru and Danzo had many of the same thoughts. Such a shame Sarutobi had chosen Minato back then instead of him… Konoha would have marveled under his command and Danzo would have supported his experiments as well.  
But no use in living in the past, thinking what could have been. The villagers had made their choice clear as well and so they would suffer for it. Revenge was best served cold and he would get sweet vengeance.

Thinking of which brought him back to his favorite avenger. Too bad for him that Sasuke was still so very naive, in a way that his older brother had never been. He still wanted nothing more than to kill Itachi.  
It worked in Orochimaru's favor for now, as long as Sasuke didn't become too demanding. In the past months, he had steadily grown more and more restless, wanting to pressure Orochimaru into allowing him to search more actively for Itachi. But he couldn't let the younger Uchiha go - he was too precious to lose in a foolish fight against his brother. His new vessel was not to be harmed and honestly without a good strategy he himself wouldn't be able to defeat the prodigy either…  
It was a delicate situation. However, now, with this new information, he could maybe tie the odds in his own favor. Akatsuki were searching for the Jinchuriki left and right and he could probably strike a good deal for the right incentive. The question was, would the whereabouts of the Kyuubi be enough to get them to turn on Itachi? The Uchiha was definitely a strong asset in their midst and at their last confrontation, they had separated themselves from him in favor for the Uchiha…  
A precarious situation, but he was no doubt optimistic. He would have to tentatively reach out to them and see where this would lead. At the very least he could ally himself with them in order to bring Konoha down to its knees. He held another very important chess piece in regards to the Kyuubi after all: Naruto Uzumaki was very much interested in Sasuke Uchiha's health, as Kabuto had indicated. So they could easily manage to lure him in through false information.  
"Don't let Sasuke get wind of this", he commanded. "In fact, I don't want you to even write a mission report about this. It's vital right now that he stays naive and focused on his ideas of revenge."  
"Yes, master."  
"This is delightful news, Kabuto. Go back to your quarters and rest. I will summon you when I have new orders for you. And please see to our little avenger's continued happiness."  
They shared a smirk and his most loyal follower left as instructed. For the first time, the clouds looked up. The situation didn't seem so bleak anymore. With a few important pieces obtained, he could finally steer in the right direction. Konoha would burn and he would no longer have to hide like some pathetic missing-nin, but instead, he'd get the glory he actually _deserved_ for his services.

* * *

 **Is Itachi in danger? Will Akatsuki turn on him or at least ally with Orochimaru? Or will they kill him upon meeting him?**  
 **Naruto got away lucky, yet again. But for how long until he realizes what's at stake?**

 **The next chapter will probably blow your mind… I hope at least! With a key scene I had planned from the beginning.**

 **Next time: Starring Anbu Kakashi, Neiji and more ;)**  
 **And an impossible choice for Naruto!**

 **See you soon and enjoy Easter! I'll try to update weekly like before, but I'm not sure if it's going to work out. We'll see :)**


	13. Exposed

**April fool's**

 **This chapter was done as a joke, and so please don't take it too seriously ;D But maybe you'll still enjoy Itachi's very first wet dream? ;)**

Chapter 12

 _Exposed_

When he awoke, everything was dark, Itachi wasn't sure what time of day it was, really. Yes, his eyesight had slowly deteriorated in time, but that didn't explain why he couldn't see anything all of a sudden. The distinct sound of a throat being cleared caught him off guard and he turned his head.

"Yahoo my favorite little Uchiha! I hope you enjoyed your beauty sleep. You looked so fucking cute in your sleep, like a little innocent angel."

"... Tobi?" Itachi was irritated and frowned. For an Uchiha, that was the equivalent of an explosion of hot anger. Itachi belatedly noticed that his hands were bound over his head and he couldn't separate his feet either. Tobi must've drugged him well for him to notice his situation this late into his awakening.

He was in deep trouble.

"May I ask what brought this about?", he drawled. "You know this won't end well for you, so you might as well just untie me now, before this escalates." He tried to sound as threatening as possible and as unfazed as he could, even though his situation really seemed quite dire. When he didn't get an answer, he swore. "Damn it Tobi! Untie me this instant!"

"Wow, Itachi grew balls! I like you like this, un", another happy voice sounded behind him. Deidara being there as well unsettled him. For some reason, mainly the drugs, his ninja senses hadn't noticed him before he spoke up.

Tobi wasn't alone in this plot. But why would two members of Akatsuki tie him up like this? Itachi shuffled around but he couldn't get rid of his bonds. And without seeing them, any genjutsu he made wouldn't look realistic.

"Who else is with you on this, Tobi? Deidara? Just what the hell are you thinking? If Leader-sama finds out about your betrayal, he will come after you."

Tobi laughed loudly and there was some shuffling of feet to his right. He turned his head in their direction, but his eyes remained unseeing unfortunately.

"I promise I will be lenient in their punishment", another deep voice sounded. _Shit_. So Pain was in on this as well? He swallowed heavily.

Had they found him out?

How?

He had told _nobody_! This simply wasn't possible… To think his fate was doomed now, _after all these years of keeping the truth to himself._

"So Orochimaru approached me yesterday", Pain's deep voice spoke up again. "And told us of a little Jinchuriki that is in fact still in Konoha. Something you, unfortunately, failed to mention in your mission reports."

"I fail to see how this relates to me being tied up. You know me, you know that I would never betray you. And as for Uzumaki, I don't understand why I should hide any information from you."

After all these years they had found out that he was an _Omega_?

"Orochimaru told us that you accepted Naruto Uzumaki as your _Alpha_ , Itachi. I am deeply disappointed that you didn't even trust us with this, especially seeing as to you could have had any one of us."

"So are we not good enough for the great Itachi Uchicha", Hidan laughed cruelly. "What a fucking joke to think that you've got the hots for the baby Jinchuriki, you whore!"

There was the sound of flesh hitting flesh. "Calm the fuck down Hidan, this really isn't the time. We'll show Itachi soon enough, un. Isn't that right Itachi?"

He swallowed again, at a loss for words. How could he get out of this mess? And how had Orochimaru even found out? All these years he had diligently taken his suppressors, so it was practically impossible for him to know. Or had he found that one doctor he had confided in after a particularly rough heat?

His last hope was the female of the pack, Konan had always had a soft spot for him. Females generally felt bad for Omegas as they replaced them as the bottom of society and without them, they would suffer the sexism. "Where is Konan then? If you're all in on this? Did you pull this behind her back?"

A quiet pause.

"She doesn't consent to this, does she?" Itachi had just lost his last hope. Surely she would have listened to his pleas.

"You know how she is. With Deidara, Pein, Sasori, Hidan, Kakuzu and Kisame and me, she feels outnumbered, as a woman that is."

"Yeah she basically told us to live out our gay fantasies on our own and that she held no wish to partake in our gay gang bang. Too bad for her."

"... WHAT?"

Itachi finally noticed that he was laying on a very soft surface for a dungeon. And his bindings were too soft to be ninja wire… He was doomed.

"You can't do this! See reason! What the fuck?"

"Itachi, you have been a loyal member of Akatsuki for six years now. Yet you never joined us in the bedroom. We were lenient before, but since you are no longer a minor at 19 years old, it is time. You should be happy, un, to experience this in a _safe_ environment!"

"I don't want this!"

Someone unbuttoned his cloak with steady hands. He panicked. Smooth hands petted his hair. "It's okay pet, we'll take care of you. That bastard Orochimaru wanted you all for himself, but we don't betray our own." Kisame whispered in his ear, voice low and husky.

"You'll enjoy this, I promise", he liked over his cheek, a rough tongue sliding down all the way over his slender neck and stopped at his clavicles, sucking the soft spot with passion.

Itachi was speechless. For the first time in his life, he felt overwhelmed with a situation. He had no fucking idea how to deal with this. To his left, he felt the mattress tilt down as another weight crouched next to him. Soft lips descended on him just as yet another person ripped off his shirt.

"How the fuck are we going to get rid of all his clothes when he's all tied up?" Kakuzu asked into the room.

"You're a fucking ninja Kakuzu, deal with it."

Itachi couldn't suppress a shudder as he felt a cold kunai blade cut off his clothing in one precise movement. He shivered as the cold air brushed his stomach, but fast enough warm hands massaged his abs, ran over his smooth skin with passion. He wanted to tell them all to fuck off, to get away, but at the same time his primal senses awoke and wanted the opposite. To give into these strong alpha presences. Breath in the musk and enjoy being dominated by all of Akatsuki's men.

He moaned as a hot mouth took his left nipple into his mouth and sucked on it. "Yes, you like that, don't you little pet? Being dominated by six strong alphas that take good care of you." The same voice that had just kissed him senseless spoke in a low, devilishly sexy voice.

Itachi thought about this for a moment and felt embarrassed. He did, but he wouldn't admit it. He tried tugging at his bonds again, but they were still too tight for him to undo. Oh well, enjoy the moment then. Someone's tongue traced down his stomach, stopping at his belly button and sucking deeply. He could feel calloused hands massage his hip bones and reaching lower and lower.

A tingling heat developed in his lower abdomen and he could feel himself harden.

 _So hot, so tight._

 _So fucking pleasurable._

No use in denying it any longer, as his cock was out to announce to everyone just how far he was gone. No longer was his Uchiha mask tight in place, instead, he was moaning, needy and weak. He was just relieved that they had put a blindfold on him so that he didn't have to look them into the eye. It was also undeniably hot that they were raping him without his consent and that he had no idea who was doing what to him.

A hot mouth descended upon his dick and he screamed at the new sensation.

God, what would Naruto think of him when he'd see him like this? Would he still love him and take him as his mate? He didn't think he could deal with a rejection from his beloved blond alpha. He screamed out in ecstasy and despair at the same time.

Itachi woke up. He didn't often dream and he was grateful for that small mercy, because usually, he woke up from nightmares. Reliving over and over the memories of the massacre with his perfect Sharingan vision. This though, this was a nightmare of another caliber entirely.

What the hell was up with his head?

Of course, Itachi could speculate why - after all he was gay and Naruto was definitely attractive. And the other Akatsuki members were fit and strong. But someone like Kisame? Really? That put 'kinky' into a whole new light.

Regretting that yet another night was not spent resting properly, he got up to relieve Kisame from guard duty. He squinted, but in the darkness his already deteriorating eyes were useless anyway. Kisame's chakra signature remained true though, so he could locate him just moments later and walked over to him.

"Another nightmare?", his partner asked, sounding almost caring if Itachi didn't know better.

"Yes." He shudderey, but Kisame would think it was the cold night air and not the sense of dread that his nightmare had left him with. An entirely new level of nightmare, really.

Kisame knew better than to ask or argue, so he headed off to sleep. Itachi stared into the flames, trying to forget about the dream, which was, unfortunately, _harder_ than he would have liked.

 **In case you haven't noticed, this is April fools.**

 **Or is it? Who knows what's going on in Itachi's fucked up dreamscape. I certainly don't. ;)**

 **So really when I meant the next chapter would blow your mind, I didn't mean this one. The next one has all the plot development you're craving...**

 **I aplogize but I just had wayyyy to much fun writing this.**

 **I REGRET NOTHING**


	14. Loyalty and Treason

**Sorry for the long wait! I guess the importance of this chapter kinda gave me unwanted pressure and as a result writer's block... But at last, here it is, and extra long! (5800 words, my longest chapter yet!)  
**

Chapter 12 *cough* for real this time ;D

 _Loyalty and Treason_

Kakashi stood in front of a building he hadn't visited in three years. From the outside it looked pretty unremarkable: A grey, simple three story building at the edge of town, one of the last ones before the Hokage complex. Some administrative bureaucracy building, or so the public thought.  
Kakashi hadn't been here in three years. And honestly: He'd never even considered coming back here. It was his past though: This building held one of the three entrances to Anbu headquarters, after all.  
Neji, Shikamaru and Tenten flagging him, he casually strolled through the entrance. Though they tried imitating his ease, it was obvious they were very nervous.  
"Relax", he mumbled. "There's nothing to about."  
Neji raised an eyebrow. "As if you weren't just as tense the first time you went into Anbu HQ. So don't patronize us."  
Kakashi smiled beneath his mask. Hopefully, they'd never find out about the circumstances of his first enrollment into Anbu. How he hadn't actually cared at all, none of that great honour felt... How had been so broken by Minato's death he had hardly been able to think. Because he had been a shell only, spirit all but gone in grief.  
Back then, the third Hokage had thought that joining Anbu could give him a new purpose, a distraction from his sadness. Of course Sarutobi Hiruzen had also warned him that he'd endanger himself with his careless attitude. Anbu was a dangerous line of work, more risky than a normal jounin or shunin position.  
And like usually, the Hokage had been right, Kakashi had found something he had previously lost: A family.

Kakashi entered first, smiled and raised his hands. "No need to get so angry. Besides dear children, we're here."  
Once inside, there were several stations at which they had to exchange coded greetings and show their approved orders from Tsunade. With new additions especially, they were very careful in following strict protocols, so that no outsider could get in. Even if these codes sounded ridiculous to everyone involved.

"Hey babe, yesterday I m-masturbated while thinking of", Neji sucked in a breath before continuing the code, "...of paperwork."

"Paperwork pales compared to Icha Icha Tactics." Shikamaru sighed with a resigned expression on his face and Kakashi snickered silently.

"Are here the auditions for the film adaptations?" Tenten looked like she had just bit into a lemon. "Seriously, who even invented these ridiculous codes?" Tenten was fuming at the deer-mask, who in turn held up a hand and pointed at the copy nin.

Kakashi laughed outright now. "Well, not my fault they didn't change it in three years, right? I mean that's actually quite ridiculous and careless."

Deer coughed. "Oh no, they're not always the same. Just special orders from the Commander for your return."

Neji raised an eyebrow but said nothing while Kakashi smiled knowingly. At Anbu, respecting your superiors was important while on duty, a strict hierarchy facilitated difficult missions. Furthermore, it allowed the shinobi to get into a different mindset while on missions opposed to being among friends. In the field, there was only black and white, completing a mission stood above all else.  
Yet Kakashi had become somewhat of an idol for most of the nin here: In twelve years, eight of those as captain, he had only ever lost three team members. That was a record that awed and inspired his comrades and the reason why the son of the White Fang, the infamous Copy-nin and former Anbu captain clearly expected a warm welcome upon his return. A glorious homecoming.  
Oh well.

People were staring at him. Walking through familiar hallways he noticed their looks behind their masks. Staring wasn't quite describing it well, no, it was much more intense; they were glaring at him. Judging him and the newbies. He could almost taste the tension in the air, as the Anbu stopped their daily business to watch him and his team walk by.  
"What's up with them?", Tenten whispered, baffled at the open display of hostility in 'friendly' waters. And he couldn't blame her: This was supposed to become their home now.  
"Don't worry about them, it has nothing to do with you. They are probably just curious about what I'm doing here again." Kakashi reassured themfor his own sake as much as theirs.

"Well, well if it isn't the famous Dog back in the madhouse", a sneering voice came up behind him, a little too close to comfort.  
"Genma", Kakashi greeted. "How nice to see you again."  
"Sir."  
"No need to address me like this", Kakashi smirked and waved his hand in a dismissing gesture. "After all, you do know my view on formal speak and besides we haven't officially been assigned positions yet." Who knew, maybe the Commander would tease him by putting Shikamaru in charge of their team...

Genma, a dark-haired shinobi and the first among the Anbu without a mask, shook his head and smirked in turn. "For you, there is, Doggie. You will address your superiors with respect. Is that understood?"

Luckily, Kakashi wore his trusted face-mask. Otherwise, he would have openly gaped with disbelief. This way, all that bystanders saw was a slight widening of his single eye, before he quickly regained his composure. "Sir has a nice ring to it, doesn't it Genma? Tell me how long have you been a captain now?"  
"Three years", Genma pulled out a senbon and started sucking on it. "Gamma squad."  
"I'm happy for you."  
"You shouldn't have returned, Kakashi. Anbu is your past, but it has changed since then. And you don't fit here, anymore."  
"Always straight to the point", Kakashi eye-smiled at his former team-mate. "Only one of the many reasons why I recommended you to succeed me as Captain, sir." Then he motioned his little ducklings to follow him. They needed to get their masks from the commander and were on a schedule. Well, hadn't that been a fun first meeting?

* * *

"Kakashi it's good to see you again", the weathered commander greeted him and his new subordinates with an easy smile. Or at least that's what Kakashi imagined his expression to look like. In fact, Kakashi had never seen the man's face behind that blank, black mask. The identity of the Anbu commander was a strictly guarded secret. Since it was a high profile position, much like the Hokage, their identity was protected as well as could be. Kakashi just knew that the man was old - from at least the generation of his father if not older. As a consequence, most of the man's former peers were retired if not dead; they didn't live to tell the tale so to speak.  
"Commander", he bowed respectfully. He introduced Neji, Shikamaru, and Tenten, who mirrored his greeting, though with more uncertainty. The black-masked man sat in the impressively sized office was an intimidating figure, his strength, and experience radiating from every pore of his body.  
"It is an honor to meet you sir", Neji's undeniable fear and weariness was veiled in admiration. It didn't surprise the older shinobi that they were awe-struck and intimidated, but they had no reason to feel like that. The commander was a good man, someone Kakashi trusted explicitly. Sometimes he acted a little too over-the-top though, for Kakashi's taste.

"Now that you're back here, I can finally think about retirement again, Kakashi. You know, an old man like me was all but aching for relaxation and then you go and quit." He teased, as he sounded disappointed at first, with a layer of amusement present in his voice underneath.  
"Ah, sorry about that, commander."  
"All's well that ends well or so they say. Maybe I'll get my much needed and deserved retirement soon after all", the little wink at the end of that declaration made it hard for Kakashi to ascertain if the man was having him on or was in fact serious.  
But his commander's retirement fantasies really weren't the pressing matter here. "Well, first we need to formally join Anbu."  
"Oh yes, I'm getting ahead of myself here. Just hold on, I have your masks and contracts somewhere here." He pointed vaguely at his desk and Kakashi smiled at the gigantic piles of paperwork. No way in hell would he ever sign up for this position: If anyone thought the paperwork for the Hokage was bad - well the Anbu commander wasn't far behind. In fact, the Hokage got only heavily filtered reports from the Anbu and Jounin commander, as well as the civilian representative bureau. Tsunade's job wasn't micro-management by any means and so the respective divisions had to keep her informed. He just so managed to suppress a sigh. There would be tons of paperwork for Neji, Tenten and Shikamaru to sign, as well. So dinner might take a while.

* * *

Indeed, it had taken a while. But they finally had their masks and access codes and the like and could retire for the day.

On the way to their well-deserved dinner, an old comrade fell in with their steps. "Raidou!"

"Hey there Kakashi, I didn't believe my ears when I first heard of your return."

"It's been a long time."

"Too long, my friend", he sighed and after a moment he gave Kakashi a tired smile. "I'm glad you're finally back and I know you had your reasons when you left our team."  
Kakashi took the consolation as what it was. Raidou Namiashi had always been a loyal friend, beneath his strict look there lay a heart of gold. "Thank you, Raidou. Unfortunately, Genma doesn't seem to share the sentiment…"

"He doesn't really mean it, Kakashi."

"Well...he made his point quite clear, earlier." The bitterness in his voice was unmistakable, even though he tried to smother it. This was not the reunion with his 'family' he had pictured.

"Genma was hurt when you left from one day to the other… You know after all these years at Anbu we had all just assumed that you'd become the new Anbu commander. We thought we could manage any mission together, whatever the Hokage wanted us to do. And then you just left."

"I know. It wasn't my decision though."

"And then you burdened him with additional pressure by making him captain… We felt betrayed by your actions. And to top it all of, whenever one of us approached you, you'd ignore us or vanish. You abandoned us!"

"I had other duties! It is standard protocol to cut your ties when you leave Anbu so that you may never give anything away to outsiders!" His voice rose in the luckily empty corridor except for their little group, because Kakashi really wasn't proud of his loss of temper.

"Fuck protocol! Seriously Kakashi? When did you ever obey the rules?"  
Raidou had a point and he didn't have a chance to argue more, as the other ninja already continued angrily: "And then you were so carefree with your cute little Genin and didn't care for any of us who could have desperately used your strength in their missions. We needed you and you made it clear that you didn't care."

" _12 years I served_. 12 years I was a loyal and deadly Anbu. Was that not enough? Did I not deserve a time-out?" His voice was quiet, pleading.

"12 years and we didn't even deserve a _goodbye_?", he countered and Kakashi almost regretted his decision of leaving them behind.

But truthfully, he couldn't have gone on. Another month and he would have been dead. Raidou and Genma and even Hayate might have assumed that he left Anbu for a mere Genin team, but it hadn't been like that... Worse, he couldn't correct him. His shame at the real circumstances kept him underwater, like a strong current, unable to simply tell his comrade that he had lost himself in his work back then. Captain Dog had been all there was to Kakashi, for far too long a time. Even now he knew that he needed to distance himself from his work if he didn't want to repeat the past. The Sandaime had pulled him out at the last minute; but would Tsunade show him the same courtesy?  
With Akatsuki's building threat it was unlikely she'd spare him much of a thought. After all, a shinobi was a tool first and foremost and an Anbu even more so. If you broke under the pressure, well that was a shame, thank you for your service and retire. Left. Forgotten. Drive mad like his father before him. That was a future that Kakashi wanted to prevent at all costs. The thought of his team, Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto, kept him motivated. But how long until he fell into old patterns? Only time would tell if the pressure wouldn't destroy him all over again.

"I know, Kakashi", Raidou squeezed his shoulder, the act conveying his forgiveness more than the harsh words. "It's going to take time, but we'll be alright. Even Genma."

'I hope so', Kakashi thought, nodding. The situation wasn't resolved, their feelings were still hurt, but Kakashi would make it up to them.  
Captain Dog was returning, after all.

* * *

Naruto was tired and weary, yet also strangely hopeful. His mission had gone well. It was a simple information exchange with an Anbu on a long-term reconnaissance mission in the land of water. Naruto obviously didn't know their objective, but he was quite pleased that he had been able to sneak in undercover. This proved his stealth capacity to everyone. No one had even stopped him on his way out of the country, information scrolls secured in his backpack. He liked missions like these far more than head hunting or dare he say, seduction missions. Being one of the few ninjas at Root to be old enough to succeed in those kinds of missions, he might have to do one of these in the future… Unfortunately, he sucked at genjutsu, so he couldn't exactly fake the experience for the target…  
Almost violently, he shoved the thought aside. Anyway, he had succeeded in collecting the scroll and looked forward to seeing his friends again soon. For almost two weeks he had been gone and he started to miss their faces and while he wasn't really feeling lonely, he… who was he kidding? He missed talking to them.

Though Sai was rarely in these days, having been given an important mission in the village. No doubt spying on someone for Danzo, Naruto deducted. And then there was Odachi, who had vanished a month ago. Naruto had no idea what kind of mission he had received or how long it would last, but he hoped his young friend could handle it. Who knew what kind of conditioning Danzo put him under?  
Thoughts of his squadmates made Naruto run faster and take fewer breaks on his way back. Yes, he was exhausted. But he just couldn't wait to see them all again and assure himself of their wellbeing.  
Utterly exhausted, but happy and excited he made his way through the familiar corridors. He was just in time for dinner, so he made his way to the dining hall. The hall was packed, his fellow Root shinobi eating and quietly murmuring amongst themselves. Though the voices were low and inaudible from distance, it was a relaxed atmosphere. Almost excited.  
In the sea of faces - the masks were discarded for the sake of eating - Naruto couldn't spot his squad mates immediately. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and spread his senses for their chakra. Not a second later he had found Naginata, Shuko, and Sumi sitting together. He shivered when he thought back on how he had gained that particular sensing skill. Though the torture was long since overcome and he was stronger than ever before, it still unsettled him. Naruto would probably never be able to forget just how low his life had been at one point. How helpless he had felt in that isolation cell. He never wanted to feel that way again. Ever.  
On his way to them, he grabbed a food tray and loaded it with bean salad and rice. Since he'd rushed over so fast, he was quite starved. Yes, he knew he probably should have reported to Danzo first, but he'd report to him right after dinner. And no doubt the old leader would already know of his arrival by now. Getting into Root HQ anonymously was quite impossible, to put it frankly.  
Naginata smiled when she saw him approach their group and patted the spot on the bench next to her. He smiled back without hesitation. Now, there was no need to worry anymore, he was stronger now. Unbroken. He had made a life here. Friends, comrades, and he had even got to keep part of his personality. All in all, things weren't so bad, he admitted to himself.  
"It's so good to have you back, Naruto" Naginata greeted him quietly.  
"Took your fat ass quite a lot of time", Shuko muttered but with a teasing smirk on his lips.  
"Hey, Nagi! Yeah yeah missed you too, Shuko", he turned around, "where are Sai and Odachi though?"  
For the fraction of a second, Naginata's smile froze. "Sai's on a long-term assignment somewhere in the city and well… we haven't seen Odachi as long as you haven't."  
Naruto throat was dry. "The whole time?"  
"Don't worry so much, Naruto." Shuko reassured him, "Danzo-sama's most likely just putting his Sharingan to use. You just came back from your own solo mission yourself."  
"True…"  
"So, tell us all about your mission." Sumi smiled encouragingly. Naruto was thankful for how easily Sumi managed to steer the conversation in another direction.  
"Not worth my time, really", Naruto leaned forward, mock-whispering. "I think I'm just too awesome for the job."  
Shuko snorted. "The first solo-mission that takes a little more than a week and he already let it get to his head. Pathetic."  
"Hey! It was 13 days! That's almost two weeks I'll have you know!"  
"Oh yes, pardon me. That changes everything." Shuko shook his head and focussed back on his food. Naruto smiled fondly at his friends, his family. For the remainder of dinner, he was lost in thought. How strange to have formed these strong bonds in a place such as this, he mused. He thought of his old friends, team 7… Until now he had always regarded them as his real and true friends, but was that really the case? Were the Root shinobi not just as important? After a year and a half in Root, he had definitely made a home here, however impossible he would have thought of it in the beginning.

Yawning, he leaned back. Just then, Danzo stepped onto the little stage at the back of the hall. Immediately, the quiet talking died and Danzo was the center of attention. As one body, Root stood and formed perfect rows in front of the elevated platform, food seemingly forgotten.  
Naruto managed to bite back a sigh, as he had really hoped to get some rest after the mission. What did he get instead? Another assembly night. They were quite regular, and usually, they didn't end as badly as his very first plenum, where that girl had been punished in front of everyone. It was probably over soon, after whatever Danzo wanted to announce was out. Still, these minutes were wasted in standing to attention instead of sleeping and Naruto just felt exhausted.

"My dear Root", Danzo began, "I hope you had a pleasant meal. Before I begin, I would like to congratulate Kama on the success of his first solo-mission." He smiled pleasantly at Naruto's direction, whose eyes widened in turn. Was Danzo angry that he hadn't reported back yet? Amused, he continued. "Well, besides the initiation, but that doesn't really count… Would you please join me on stage, Kama?"  
Naruto swallowed down his unease and fell to one knee right before his master. "Danzo-sama." He didn't dare look up and betray any kind of discomfort to the old warmonger.  
"Now I am happy to see you back at Root, Kama. Though I would have preferred to meet you at my office, first, I assume you accomplished the goals of your mission? After all, I don't think you would be so foolish as to return to Root had you failed."  
He knew better than to make excuses, Danzo wouldn't fall for them anyway. "Yes, Danzo-sama. Please forgive my late report, it won't happen again."  
"I'm certain it won't", he smiled his kind grandfatherly smile, and Naruto was confused. Just what was his deal?  
"Odachi, please step forward."  
Naruto looked up to see his small squad member emerge from the shadows and bow before Danzo. Odachi was safe! What a relief!  
Danzo's pleasant smile vanished as he coldly ordered Odachi to name the Root code. Promptly, the young ninja complied and Odachi's quiet voice filled the dining hall.  
"Obedience. Control. Sacrifice. Loyalty."  
His face was hidden behind an animal mask, voice leveled and controlled as ever. He wished he could see his friend's face, see his emotions after the long absence. Even with the mask on he could read Odachi somewhat. Had Naruto not come to know the little Uchiha this well, he would not have noticed the tenseness of his shoulders, or the slight cramping of his hands. But he did, and immediately he knew that something was terribly wrong. Something worried his squad mate.  
" _Obedience_ ", Danzo's cold voice cut through his musings, "tell me, Kama, whose obedience?"  
Naruto was surprised at the direct question, yet he didn't hesitate, he knew this code by heart. "Ours, Danzo-sama."  
"And whose _control_?"  
"Yours, Danzo-sama."  
"Whose _sacrifice_?"  
"Your shinobi's sacrifice."  
Naruto looked up at Danzo for the first time this evening and Danzo's face was fuming as he bit out: "And who are you loyal to, Kama?"  
Naruto stumbled "I.. I am loyal to Root, of course, and to you Danzo-sama."  
"There was a time, where I would have believed you, Kama. But you stand here in front of me and you dare lie?"  
"I.. What? I'm not lying, Danzo-sama!"  
With a small hand gesture, Danzo summoned a squad to his side. One of the faceless shinobi threw a small bundle right between Danzo and Naruto.  
A squirming bundle.

A crying squirming little human bundle.

Naruto felt sick.

"There is nothing happening at Root that I don't know about, Naruto. You might think yourself smart, you might think yourself above our code. And most importantly, you think you can get away with betrayal. But, let me assure you, you are wrong."  
The tiny four-year-old girl before him curled herself into a ball and cried. She sounded quite hoarse, so she must have been at it for some time.  
Naruto panicked. Danzo had found out about little Mira and the brother he had hidden from him. But how? Itachi had said that it was impossible to lift the memory block without the Sharingan.

Before he could ask, his gaze fell on Odachi.

 _Oh._

 _OH._

Sweet, little, _loyal_ , _obedient_ Odachi, who grew up at Root. Who had the _Sharingan_.

Suddenly, Naruto was violently ill. He cowered over the remains of his dinner and just looked at Odachi. His friend. Who was loyal to Danzo. Who had betrayed him. Whom he had trusted.

" _Why_?" He sobbed. But the other remained silent, his hands clenching into fists.

Odachi stared at him, eyes slightly narrowed and didn't answer his question.

Danzo seemed happy at his reaction though. "So I see you recognize the girl from your initiation mission. Do you remember what the objective was?"

Naruto couldn't speak. The mission had tired him out, and then Odachi's betrayal on top of it had robbed him of any emotional control. He had already given himself away to Danzo, his reaction was a dead giveaway. Since they had broken Itachi's genjutsu, the truth was out anyway, though... To put it simply: Naruto was fucked.

Danzo snarled down at him. "No? To eradicate the Kawa clan, bring back their medical jutsu scrolls and offspring. You brought me thirteen heads, the scrolls and little Mira here... So I thought you carried out the mission to satisfaction." He made a dramatic pause and his jaw clenched. "Yet you failed to bring her little brother in as well."

A collective gasp was heard behind Naruto and he could imagine why his fellow shinobi were so shocked. He had betrayed the code. The ultimate crime. Something that shouldn't even be possible considering the loyalty seal.  
"So where is the other Kawa child, Naruto? Why is he not at Root?"

He swallowed and then he straightened and stared right back at Danzo."I left him at someone's doorstep."  
The kick hit his face hard and threw him back several meters, to the edge of the platform.

"Let me repeat that: Why isn't he home at Root?"

"Home and Root is an _oxymoron,_ Danzo", Naruto spat out blood (and was that a tooth?) and rolled his shoulders. "What is a home, Danzo-sama? Root may be many things, but it is not a _real_ home. Not a loving, caring environment for a child to grow up in."

"You say that with your comrades behind your back. Look at them, is a single child worth this betrayal to your new family? What about Loyalty, Naruto? Do the bonds to your fellow ninja really mean so little to you that you'd betray for nothing?"

"Loyalty", Naruto laughed and looked at Odachi. "What loyalty, Danzo? I just see mindless tools that you broke to your will."

"So, you are saying that you are above them? After being a Root shinobi for more than a year, being integrated into their lives you really care so little for all of them?"  
Naruto faltered and turned around. Truly, looking into the accusing eyes of the ones he'd come to call family before this evening had turned everything around.

"It's not like that. They are my comrades, I care for Root deeply and you know it."

"And yet you betrayed them. Yet you didn't want to gift them with a child to raise in our midst. Your actions speak louder than your _excuses_."

Naruto's eyes strayed to the young Uchiha again and he almost felt a physical stab to his heart. How could he have done that to him? "You speak of betrayal, but emotional deadening is not a good way to raise a child! They deserve to make their own choices and have room for mistakes… They all deserve to be loved!"

Danzo's head tilted to the side, he seemed genuinely curious. "Why though? Emotions make us weak and irrational. Both hindering for a shinobi."

"That's not true", Naruto stood up in anger. "I wanted the boy to grow up and make his own choices and not be forced into a life he might not want at all!"

"Oh Naruto, you are so naive, so _self-righteous_. Is it not proof that this upbringing is the right way to proceed? After all the time you spent here, you still don't understand our ideals, you place yourself above the cause. What does one life matter in the grand scheme of things?"

"It's not me that is self-righteous. Instead, you should point at yourself, for caring so little about the shinobi entrusted to your care. Do you think anyone is happy with the way you _mutilate_ their feelings?"

"What is the happiness of an individual compared to the continued prosperity of the village? I thought they even teach these same values in the academy."

Naruto took a step toward Danzo, with newfound energy. "The village is what I'm fighting for. But the shinobi, are part of the village too, don't forget that."

"Sometimes", Danzo stated slowly and the sheer conviction in his voice made Naruto blink, "sacrifices are necessary. Unavoidable. I might not like them either, but they have to be made. So I hope this lesson will teach you well, and achieve what my words cannot." He paused for a second, considering Naruto. "You will bring me the boy or you will kill his older sister right is the consequence of your foolish action. Who do you choose?"

"..." Naruto swallowed down a retort. Now was not the time for petty words. Danzo would follow through with his plan, that was for sure. And Naruto would be the judge and executioner, in a literal way.  
It was he, who had to decide who to condemn: Both to a life in slavery or the death of one?

A quiet voice of doubt stubbornly probed at his mind: _Life at Root was certainly not unbearable, the voice reminded him. He had come to make… something like friends here…_  
But then images of _Sai_ crying as he remembered his childhood friend, killed by the initiation, with his own hands, flooded Naruto's mind.  
The dark, foul cell where they had tried to kill him in.  
The _human experimentation_ labs that Orochimaru had abandoned and Danzo who wanted the research results. _Kinoe's_ story.  
 _Sumi's_ quiet sadness and resigned looks when thinking about the loyalty seal. The loyalty and _caged bird seal_ that were both derived from his own clan. _Odachi_ who was most likely not the only Uchiha child kidnapped for Root. Not the only clan that was robbed of children either… _Odachi_ who had uncovered the truth about the Kawa clan and Mira's younger brother.  
He didn't want an innocent child to live through this. Let alone, two innocent children. Maybe they wouldn't even survive until the initiation. Maybe they would be betted against each other in a final match. Truthfully, Naruto didn't know for certain what the future held for the siblings. Glancing at the writhing form to his feet, though, it didn't look too bright. It was a life of suffering. A life of pain. Something this fragile being couldn't possibly withstand. Or could she? Could she rise above all the and fight on? Grow up as a good person and a great shinobi?

And yet… He had worked so hard to keep the boy safe from this kind of abuse at Root. Because he had wanted to save his soul. To help a little innocent baby and feel better about himself, because had ultimately been the reason. Selfish. Ignorant and arrogant at his own limitations.  
And now, it all came crashing down.

What should he do?  
Danzo would make him kill her to _punish him_ for treason. After that, there would be no soul left to save, he feared. He would stain his hands with blood and mostly, he would accept that this was the shit life he lead. They both knew this.

They both also knew that Naruto had already made the decision back then, all those months ago in the forest with Itachi. The crow's words echoed in his ears. _'Sometimes older siblings sacrifice for their younger siblings, rather than sharing the pain.'_ Back then, Naruto had decided that a life free of Root was worth the other sibling's loneliness at Root. Now, her life was the punishment for going against orders. It was sacrificed to make Naruto see the reality in which he was living in.

Shakily, he took a step and made his way toward the girl. He slowly crouched down, the weight of the world on his shoulders. A masked Root ninja stepped behind him and handed him a kunai, wordlessly. Naruto didn't speak to the girl as she looked up at him with her huge brown eyes. He didn't respond to her wails and ignored her flinching when she recognized him from the man who had inflicted all that pain on her and her family. Right next to her, he could feel her heart beat frantically.  
He didn't tell her that he was sorry and that he didn't want to do this. He raised his hand with the kunai in it. He spared her his condolences and he didn't talk about her brother. The boy would lead ahappy and full life, without ever knowing of the sacrifice of his sister.

No, instead Naruto held the kunai steadily in his hand right hand. Squeezing her shoulder and bracing himself for the act, one last time.

After this, there was no turning back. He would never be the same Naruto after accepting the consequences of his actions.

 _He wouldn't deserve to be his old self, after this._

"Sayonara", he whispered to himself and the girl, before he slashed her throat in a swift, practised motion. And when the blood splashed across his chest and soaked his shirt and pants, he took shuttering breath and did his best to ignore the stinging in his eyes. It was done:

 _Mira was dead, and so was Naruto._

Danzo's voice was firm and a little less cold when he approached the blond ninja. "Some things must be sacrificed for the Greater Good. As shinobi, we besmirch our hands with blood so that the village may thrive. We sweat and bleed all the while staying in the shadows. You have been sacrificed for the village from birth, as well."  
Kama couldn't argue with that. His own father had sacrificed both their lives in a way for the village. For people that openly hated him, that cursed his very existence. "As a ninja, you need to accept this simple truth. If you always follow your own selfish wishes, more people will suffer as a result."

Kama broke down and couldn't stop the tears in his eyes. _He was beyond saving now_.

* * *

 **In my mind Kakashi was an Anbu for twelve years. He joined right after Minato's death up to before his Genin team. The Hokage pulled him from a dangerous path and thought that appointing him a Genin-team would help. I don't think that's cannon but it works for the story so I hope you'll accept it.**

 **The secret is out. A lie never lives to be old… You know, the best writing advice I ever got was this: To always let the protagonist suffer through the worst shit that could happen to them. So yeah… sorry, Naruto.**

 **I wanted to portray Danzo as more than just a heartless bastard (which he is, admittedly) and give some insights on his philosophy. Did it work? ;)**

 **Question: Would you like to see Kakashi in a pairing? Genma? Yamato? Hana? Anko? Or so different?**  
 **Also: Do you want Naruto to go on a seduction mission? Or learn about his training for it (as a flashback)?**

 **Next time: Weasel-mask and Weasel-san and all that gossip**


	15. Battle Royal I

**God, I had a hard time writing this. My expectations got in the way. Just know now that I don't plan on ever abandoning this fic, in fact I think we are more than halfway through what I have planned. So it's probably going to end at around 25 chapters?**

Chapter 13

 _Battle Royal Part I_

Silently, Kakashi and his young Anbu team stepped into the Hokage's office. Their masks hiding their faces from sight they behaved like any other Anbu squad, despite only having been training together for a little over 2 months.  
Kakashi was quite pleased with how the training was progressing. Even their newest member, a dark-haired shinobi called Sai was starting to get the meaning of teamwork. Moreover, all of his squad had improved by miles since they came to him first.

While their skills were ready to be proven in the field, Kakashi couldn't figure out the mystery that was Sai. The new addition was worrying him in more ways than one, but mostly his inability to show emotions: Even without the weapon as a (code) name, the kid screamed Danzo's property with the deadness in his eyes. Not even the god awful nicknames could conceal the ever-present emptiness.

Now Kakashi didn't want to call him out as a spy; after all, he was friends with Tenzou and Tenzou was a good friend. Someone trustworthy and more than proven. But it didn't bear well and Kakashi had hoped for an easier team member. He should have known better. When was anything ever easy for him?

"How is the training going, Dog?" Tsunade addressed him by his Abu codename which told him this was not a friendly chat up. Not that he would have taken their meeting for that anyway. However hard he had worked on his changing into his late, dysfunctional, porn-loving image, he hadn't become the character permanently. After just two months back in his old work, he had already gained back all of his paranoia and constant weariness. The need to obey orders perfectly was just the next step back to the Anbu Captain Dog.  
"The compulsory training obstacles have been cleared. Team Dog is ready for duty, Hokage-sama."

"I'm glad to hear that. Then you shall receive your first official mission. From now onward you will be called Squad Rho.  
Captain Dog", she nodded at Kakashi who kneeled before her.  
"Lynx" newly named, Neji joined him. Then Shikamaru followed as Badger, Tenten as Owl and their newest member was the only one left.

"Mole", Tsunade nodded at him with a sharpness to her eyes that hadn't been there previously. Sai smiled back, probably with the intention of looking gracious, but he showed too many teeth to be sincere. Inwardly, Kakashi sighed. Of course, he had worked with Danzo's spies before and he had managed to come out on top every time. One time, he had even met Tenzou this way. He just really didn't look forward to it, at all. Not being able to trust one teammate in a dire situation was naive at best and suicidal most of the time.  
He looked back to his Hokage who reached for a mission scroll. In the end, he'd have to take the situation as it came. Hopefully, their first Anbu mission would be on the softer side...

* * *

Itachi stepped into the meeting room and addressed the Akatsuki leader with a small polite bow.  
"Itachi, how good that you could join us. Be punctual the next time."  
"Yes, Leader-sama." Pein nodded and Tobi laughed silently about a joke no one else could see. After all, none of the assembled core group knew that Itachi was late thanks to another violent coughing fit. That he had had to clean the sink in the bathroom after so that no one would find the blood of his intestines sprinkled on top. Not even his partner Kisame knew…

The Akatsuki were all about power, the stronger you were, the more power you gained in the organization. He couldn't successfully find out any plans for Konoha if he dropped even a little hint of weakness.  
"Now that we are all assembled, there is important news to share." Konan started.  
Confused, Itachi looked around. One seat was empty after all: Deidara, the blond menace was missing. Was he still on that mission Pain had sent him on last week?  
His eyes fell on Hidan, who was frowning at the empty seat. Curious.

"Deidara was sent to deliver a message to Orochimaru last Tuesday. He was expected back Saturday. When he didn't return we sent a team to investigate and they brought disquieting news", Pein sounded composed, but Itachi knew the man was raging inside. "An unknown Anbu defeated him in a fight and stole the message scroll. We assume that Orochimaru had no hand in this, which makes it even worse. It was most likely a Konoha Anbu, as the fight took place in fire country. They know about our contact with Orochimaru now."  
"What the fuck was in the scrolls that has you pissing yourself, Leader-sama?" Hidan snarled.  
"That's above your pay grade, Hidan."  
Itachi eyes widened. What would they contact Orochimaru about? The traitor had been thrown out of their organization quite a while ago now and there had been no indication of a change to that relationship… Leader-sama seemed to plan something and he needed to find out what before it was too late. And who was that mysterious single Anbu? Only one came to mind... unfortunately.

"The Anbu was powerful enough to take down Deidara, reportedly without getting injured. So watch out for that and don't underestimate him if confronted. The description mentions a weasel mask and a small stature. So it is likely either someone you'd or a woman."  
Itachi exhaled sharply before he could stop himself. Kisame smiled knowingly at him. "Feel threatened that your status as Konoha's prodigy of the century will be overruled?"  
Itachi narrowed his eyes.  
"Who knows", Kisame, "he might even follow your example and join us some day. But don't worry, you're unique, Itachi."  
Konan raised her voice and made Kisame shut his shark mouth immediately. "We need to move our plans more quickly than planned. So Kakuzu will lead the mission to abduct the Jinchuriki of Sand, Sabaku no Gaara. Itachi and Kisame will accompany you. You move out in an hour. The Jinchuriki is currently on a mission at Sand's border so it is the perfect time to strike. As soon as he is in your grasp you will start the extraction process. Here are your mission scrolls. Dismissed."

Itachi swore inwardly. Akatsuki was moving far too quickly. Now that Deidara was captured or even dead, they felt threatened and moved for countermeasures immediately. There was no way he could stop the mission and it was risky taking both Kakuzu and Kisame at the same time. It was unfortunate that he wasn't the leader of this mission so he couldn't influence it in this way… maybe he should send a crow message, despite the risks of being intercepted.

* * *

"You did well Kama." Danzo seemed happy. He had all reason to be, Kama had just intercepted Akatsuki's plans by capturing a member and robbing them of a message scroll. Judging by the status of said Akatsuki member and the pleased look on Danzo's face, it was an important one. Kama wasn't smug about it though. Since the incident, he hadn't felt much of anything. In the end, he was just another shinobi tool fighting for the village under Danzo's order. It had just taken a little to understand that. Now that he did though, it was alright. By stopping Danzo he would just hinder the village for selfish purposes and that wasn't worth it. He was just a tool in the grand scheme of things and that was ok. He accepted it.  
"I have a new mission for you. You may see it as a gift for your good demeanor and results, Kama." Danza handed him a scroll but didn't let go as Kama accepted it. "Burn the scroll as soon as you have read it, it is a matter of high secrecy."  
Kama nodded and promptly opened the scroll. "Abduction mission. Target: Sabaku no Gaara, Jinchuriki of the Ichibi. Location: Valley of Dust, Wind country. Immediate departure."  
For a second, the blond shinobi stilled. There was a glint in his eyes that hadn't been there before.  
"Make it look as if Akatsuki is behind the kidnapping. This will leave us some time to retrieve the Chakra demon before anyone will suspect Konoha."  
Kama's hands tightened around the scroll before he released a small burst of Chakra to size the document into tiny pieces.  
"Yes, Danzo-sama."  
He bowed and turned to leave before his master called out again. "Kama, remember that this is a reward. By sending you, the chance of survival for the target is far greater than had I sent another operative. The Jinchuriki may live if he either joins willingly or survives the extraction of his demon. Konoha will be stronger with another Jinchuriki in our midst. Not to forget that this is a big strike against the Akatsuki, one of the strongest threats to our village and you nonetheless."  
Kama swallowed, not being able to fault the logic. "Thank you, Danzo-sama." And then he was off to get his supplies for the mission. It was a chore to go out again after he had only arrived back today after an exhausting mission. But Kama could deal with this. If all else failed he could use the Kyuubi's chakra.

"Wait up, Naruto!", a familiar voice called out behind him just as he came out of the armory. Kama frowned at his former squad mates, Naginata and Shugo approaching him.  
"Can I help you?"  
"We haven't seen you in forever, Naruto. Not since…" she trailed off, uncomfortable with the topic despite bringing it up.  
"I have been busy with missions", Kama simply countered and made to leave.  
Shugo stretched his arm and stopped him though. "Wait a second!", at his look, he let go of Kama's wrist and sighed. "Just, we are here for you, if you need someone. Don't go through this alone, Naruto. Despite how it may seem, you have friends here."  
He laughed harshly. "Don't call me that name. I abandoned it. And guess what, I don't need your support. Kindly step aside before I make you. I have a mission to accomplish. Go and annoy one of your other 'friends', Odachi would be a great start."  
At the tone, Shugo gulped and stepped aside.  
Hopefully, they would leave him alone from now on. As a tool, he didn't need their friendship. Didn't deserve it, either. But he himself also didn't deserve a friend who'd betray him. It was better this way.

* * *

Itachi's crows warned him before he even felt the chakra of the foreign ninja's approach. Their target, Gaara of the Sand had arrived a little earlier than scheduled. His entourage was unfortunately quite small, he noted. Not really worthy of a Kage. Then again, they couldn't have known that it was not, in fact, a meeting with the fire Daimyo they were approaching. But rather it was a cleverly laid lure right into their hands. Even with his companions, the Jinchuriki didn't stand a chance.  
Alongside Gaara were his brother and two Anbu level shinobi, most likely leaving his sister in charge if the state affairs back home. A clever move amidst all the stupidity. The valley of dust lay close to the border between Wind country and Land of Rivers, far away from villages, from help. Thus making it a somewhat neutral meeting ground for a Kage and a Daimyo of different countries to meet for negotiations and the perfect attacking point for Akatsuki.  
Itachi hoped that they had requested help from Konoha for their negotiations as allies and that his letter had arrived Tsunade in time - so that the sand group would soon receive back up. Because however much he wanted to, Itachi couldn't just jump in and help them.

This was a precarious situation: Under no circumstances could he let Akatsuki succeed and extract the Ichibi. Akatsuki had already captured five Jinchuriki and extracted their beasts seemingly without pause. So they really shouldn't get another one into their hands...  
As dire as the situation was, Itachi couldn't just outright attack Kakuzu and Kisame. He wasn't sure that he could kill both of them before one escaped and named him a traitor. Moreover, the Kage and his subordinates as witnesses would forever break his cover. Or they would gang up on him afterward and misinterpret his intentions.  
Itachi glanced over at Kisame, who had hidden as a small oasis and Kakuzu who perfectly melted into the rock formation that encircled the valley. Itachi's own genjutsu concealed him from their prey. Soon enough he would have to attack them and think of a way to let Akatsuki fail.

Maybe he should just end the Jinchuriki's life. With the Ichibi gone, Madara's plan would fail. On the other hand, he couldn't just rob the village of their Kage. Not amidst their rising. A crisis would likely throw the nation into chaos, weak for attacks from other villages. No, he decidedly didn't need to create more war. What to do?

* * *

Tsunade blinked at the crow sitting right on her paperwork. Since her office was sealed against all kinds of life forms intruding, this couldn't be a summons or normal animal. So a solidified chakra manifestation? What was Itachi thinking, sending this during the day?

'It better be an emergency', she scowled and unsealed the letter from the crow's foot. As she read the words, her expression changed from irritated to surprised to shocked to desperate. She had sent Kakashi's rookie team into a minefield. Yes, Kakashi was one of her best shinobi, but the others were still inexperienced and against Akatsuki's top they barely stood a chance. The only hope was that Gaara had brought enough protection with him. Tsunade took a deep breath and got up. In this situation, there wasn't any time to lose and send for additional support and hope that they would make it on time.

With a hand signal, an Anbu kneeled before her. "Get Gai, Sakura, Kurenai, and Asuma here asap", she ordered. Sakura had already learned so much from her, she would be a great addition to the Jounin, despite her still subpar fighting skills. Eventually she would be a great frontline medic, her fighting skills on par with her healing, but for now, she would hopefully stay in the background. Akatsuki was still too strong for her to handle, and yet Tsunade had decided to take the chance. Her Jounin needed all the support she could offer them.

* * *

Kama's heart raced as he arrived at the battlefront. Hidden behind a rock formation, he witnessed how the big shark guy, Kisame, beheaded a Sand Anbu as easily as cutting through butter with a hot knife. Another shinobi with a similar fate lay just bare meters in front of him. Gaara was engaged in a battle of elements. His opponent was much taller than him, towering over him and seemingly unfazed by Gaara's sand attacks.

At a closer glance he saw sparks radiating from the Akatsuki ninja - lightning affinity then, Gaara's only weakness. It was strange seeing the raging self-titled Sandmonster on the defense. Kama was just about to interfere when he stopped himself. He needed to abduct Gaara after this for Danzo, so it was better to let them tire each other out. Especially, since neither Gaara nor any of the other shinobi here was to know his identity. He had to believe that the Jinchuriki wasn't going to go down all that fast.

Kama swallowed thickly and glanced over at Kisame. The shark was finished with yet another masked ninja, discarding the corpse with a shrug. Left now was only Gaara's brother, Kankuro. He honestly didn't remember much from him, except his rude behavior. He just hoped that the puppets would slow Kisame down until Gaara was done with his opponent. Because Kama did not look forward to fighting against several Akatsuki ninja at once.

Within a few blows, it was obvious that Kisame held the stronger hand. Kankuro was fighting admirably, but it simply wasn't enough. Already, he was showing signs of tiring out. Kama watched Gaara who was biting his tongue in displeasure. No help from that side. As much as Kama wanted to stay calm and disconnected, he just couldn't. Gaara was his friend and if he wanted to convince him to join their village, under Danzo no less, he should protect his dear brother to him. Just because Kama didn't have a family didn't mean he couldn't understand the need for one. So he made to save the young shinobi from his fate. Just as he stepped out of the shade, a deep voice chimed in, startling him.

"Wait, Naruto!" How could he not have noticed this person before? Surprised and angry at himself, he turned to the intruder.  
"Itachi, I didn't expect you. Then again, I probably should have." Kama was upset at the fact that the older shinobi was here. Why he couldn't fathom, but it just felt really raised an eyebrow, infuriating him more. "So, you want to fight or what?", he spat out.  
"I should ask you that", Itachi didn't raise his voice like he had, yet he thought the crow might be angry for some reason."What is the Hokage doing, sending Konoha's only Junchuriki into a known Akatsuki ambush? I thought she was more reasonable than that."  
"Well, this Jinchuriki can still beat your ass if I have to." A bold statement, but somehow Itachi managed to rile him up more than anyone else in a while. More than an enemy should have any right to do…  
For a long moment, Itachi was silent. Then he raised his eyes and looked Kama straight in the eye, red glimmering beneath the surface. _"Why don't you prove it, Naruto?"_

* * *

 **Next time: Itachi making a decision - Naruto caught in the middle - Sai is surprised. Kakashi is confused and somebody dies.**


End file.
